THE PEDIGREE AND PEREGRINATION of ISRAEL. Being an abridgement of the Histories of 

The creation of Adam.  
Cain & Abel.  
Noah.  
Abraham.  
Isaac.  
Jacob.  
Joseph.  
Joshuah.  
Deborah.  
Ruth.  
Hezekiah.  
Zedekiah.  
And the taking of the Ark.   With Meditations and Prayers upon each HISTORY.  
By John Jackson of Kilingraves in Com. Ebor. Gentleman.  
I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner as all my Fathers were,  Psal. 39 14. 
LONDON, Printed by M. Simmons, for John Wilcox, and are to be sold at the sign of the Crown in Duck-lane, 1649.   

〈◊〉 meaning of the Frontispiece.  
AS the glorious Sun did enlighten the earth at the Creation, and comforted the creatures: so it represents to us ●ur dark and blind condition, until that Son of Righteousness did shine upon us, whereby we are enlightened and comforted.  
The next is the desolate condition of our first Parents after their fall, sitting under that they did, & we now hope in, which is by the pillar of perfect faith, placed upon the rock of a sure confidence, & under the safe shade of that vine the Church, pointing up to their hope.  
The Rain-how puts us in mind of the deluge in the time of Noah, of God's mercy if we repent and amend, as likewise of the 2d judgement to come by fire.  
That of Moses and Aaron represents God's commands, & Israel's obedience to them in their peregrination ●or us to imitate, by our duties to our Governors and Superiors appointed over us.  
The Ark, Altar, and the Cheruhims in the Sanctum Sanctorum, shows how we should worship towards the Holy of Holies in heaven, the end of our hope.  
The Dove descending, as it did show unto Noah, the ceasing of the waters, whereby he and them in the Ark were comforted: So it may signify unto us the comfort of the holy Ghost; and the ceasing of God's wrath, and the safety of them within the Ark of his Church, that expressed in the clouds, as a cloud of witnesses may confirm us of that happiness which the Saints possess, and which they shall enjoy, 〈◊〉 thus believe, obey, and serve this Creator of Heaven 〈◊〉 Earth.   


Just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints, Revel: 15. 〈◊〉  
Thou Leadest thy People like sheep by the hands of Moses and Aron. Ps: 77. 20.  
The Law was given by Moses but grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ. Joh. 1. 17. 1649. 〈…〉 Author invent W. M. Sculpsit.    

To the Nobility, Gentry, and Commonalty beyond TRENT, my dear and Native Country.  
The Author doth principally present these his Endeavours.  
I Am bold to present you with these following Histories and Meditations; the which, if 〈◊〉 your liesure you will please to peruse, though they be plain, yet I doubt not, but they will administer you some comfort, in regard they are extracted out of some choice places of holy Scripture, which is the fountain whence our chiefest consolations flow: and never any age did stand in more need of spiritual comforts, than we do in these 〈◊〉 times of ours, which occasioned me to the composing of them, and I am in hope that they will 〈◊〉 equally profitable as they are seasonable. I shall desire your favourable construction for some errors in th● Press; or what failing may be in myself 〈◊〉 composure. So wishing you as much happy solace in the perusing, as it pleased God to afford me in 〈◊〉 penning of them, I rest,  
From my chamber in Holborn, 28. Septemb. Your most affectionate Countryman and servant, JOHN JACKSON.   

To the Reader.  
Christian Reader.  
THis short abridgement being drawn our of some part of the Histories of the old Testament, yet following the very plain phrase of the holy Scripture, I do recommend unto thee, it being so portable to carry about thee, and so profitable to read, being the circumstances of such matter as behoves thee to know and practise, to comfort and encourage thee in this thy pilgrimage, & to parallel all thy sufferings in these sad and bad times, by the examples of these Kings, Priests, & Prophets, which were holier & better than thyself, thereby to teach thee with the like resolution & perseverance to follow the●● st●ps, and them in all their good examples of piety, patience, and devotion; as likewise to obey thy Governors and superiors appointed by God over thee. It will be likewise useful fo● thee in thy private closet, for thy contemplations in the fields, for thy children to read at home, to perfect them in the knowledge of the wonderful works of God, that in their innocency & youth they may be engrafted in this so necessary knowledge, learning betimes to practise the piety of these holy men, & to strengthen them in grace, and a happy course, in this their spiritual warfare towards their hoped for happiness.  
Now 〈◊〉 the several meditations and prayers following each History, if they fall short of thy 〈…〉 of phrase, or length of line●, or 〈◊〉 of zeal, I shall desire God to enlarge thine heart unto more perfection in thyself, and to stir up happy and learned men, that may enlarge this so necessary work, tending to devotion, so requisite for this age, so full of spiritual pride, the which hath so much enfatuated our understandings, and brought us to so dangerous a distemper; and God divert from us that heavy judgement which is the attendant unto this burning fever of pride and self-conceit, and insensible frenzy, which cannot be cured, but by him that raised the dead to life. And that God of power & mercy, give us all that perfect humility which is so pleasing unto him, and the only safe and sure rule, which will bring us to all other virtues, and to that right and plain way, that will lead us to perfect happiness in heaven, the resting place of the humble and meek in heart.  
So desiring God to direct thee in the reading, and all of us to practise what we read, I commit thee to God's merciful guidance and protection.  
J. J.   

To his much respected Friend Mr. john jackeson.  
SIR,  
I Have perused with much comfort the Manuscript you sent me; and whereas you desire my opinion of it, truly Sir, I must tell you, without compliment, that it is a very useful & pious piece of devotion. Doubtless, you were truly inspired, when you were compiling the work, and your soul had taken a high fight towards her Creator, insomuch that one may find that you felt the joys of heaven, while you were thus meditating upon them.  
This part of the Christian Commonwealth will be much obliged to you for such material notions, and strains of piety. For my particular, I must confess they afforded me much solace in this my sad condition, for they raised my spirits to a great height of comfort, and I am confident they will work the same effect in any soul that is susceptible of spiritual impression. So, with my very kind respects to my dear friend, your kinsman, Major John Jackson, I rest.  
From the Fleet this 11. of September. Yours most affectionately to dispose of, JAMES HOWEL.   

THE Creation of Heaven and Earth, and the life of ADAM.  
IN the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth, 
Gen. 1.  the Earth being a mere Chaos, without form, and darkness was upon the deep, and the Spirit of God moved upon the waters.  
And God commanded there should be light, and separated the light from darkness, which was day and night. Then God commanded a Firmament, which was made, and called it Heaven.  
After by his power, he made ●he herbs and trees to bud, and bear fruit. Then he commanded to be made the two great Lights in the Firmament, the Sun and the Moon, and it was so, and there was Morning and Evening. After, God caused the waters to bring forth abundance of Creatures of all kinds, with feathered Fowls. Moreover he made the Earth to bring forth Creatures of his kind.  
After these great works, God created Man, even according to his own Image, to rule over the Earth, and all these Creatures.  
This wonderful work by God's power was done in six days, 
Gen. 2.  and God rested the seventh day, and sanctified it.  
The Lord made this Man, of the dust of the ground, and breathed in him life, and then was he a living soul. Then the Lord planting a Garden in Eden, put therein the man whom he had thus created; that place being planted with all sorts of trees of pleasure: and for meat, the tree of Life, and the tree of Knowledge, of good and evil, being in the midst of that Garden: And out of Eden went a river to water the Garden. Then was the man put into the Garden, by God, to dress and keep it, giving him leave to eat of every tree, only forbade him to eat of the Tree of Knowledge; the which if he did, he should die the death. Then the Lord for his comfort, form of the Earth the Beasts of the field, and the Fowls of Heaven, and brought them to the man, who named them. But besides for Adam, he created one of greater comfort and help; for the Lord causing a heavy sleep to fall upon him, took out of his side one of his Ribs, of which he made Woman, and brought her to Adam, who called her Woman: And they were both naked, but were not ashamed.  
Now in this Garden was a Serpent, 
Gen. 3.  who was more crafty than any beast of the field, who said to the Woman, hath god said that ye shall not eat of every tree of the Garden? Yes, said the Woman, of every tree, but that in the midst of the Garden, God hath commanded, we should not touch it, lest we die. Then the Serpent said to the Woman, ye shall not die at all: but God doth know, that when you shall eat thereof, your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as Gods, to know both good and evil. So the Woman seeing the tree was good to eat, pleasant to the eye, and a tree to get knowledge, took of the fruit thereof, and gave likewise to her Husband; then both their eyes were opened, and finding themselves naked, they sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves breeches.  
After this, in the cool of the day, hearing of the voice of God, they hid themselves amongst the trees from his presence: but the Lord called the man, who answered. I heard thy voice in the Garden, and was afraid, being naked. Then the Lord said unto him, hast thou eaten of the tree I forbade thee? And the man said, the woman thou gavest me, she gave it me, and I did eat thereof. Then said the Lord to the woman, why hast thou done this; who answered, the Serpent did beguile me, and I did eat.  
And then the Lord said unto the Serpent, because thou hast done this, thou art accursed above all cattle, upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all thy days. I will also put enmity between thy seed and her seed, she shall break thine head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. And to the woman he said, he would increase her sorrows, and that in sorrow should she bring ●orth her children, and be subject to her Husband. And to Adam, for his disobedience he cursed the earth for his sake, that thorns and thistles should it bring forth, and that in sorrow he should eat his meat all the days of his life, and in the sweat of his face he should eat his bread, till he returned to the earth from whence he was taken: and as he came from dust, thither he should return: and Adam called his Wife Hevah. The Lord made them coats of skins, and clothed them; then the Lord sent him forth from the Garden of Eden, lest he should ea●e likewise of the tree fo Life, sending him to till the earth from whence he was taken. And being so cast out, at the East side of the Garden of Eden, he set the Cherubims with the blade of a sword to keep them from the tree of Life.  
After this, Adam knew Hevah his Wife, who conceived & bare Cain, who became a tiler of the ground: and again, she brought forth Abel, who was after a keeper of sheep.  
After this, when he was one hundred and thirty years old, he begat another child, call him Seth: and he lived after that, eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. So all the days of Adam were nine hundred and thirty years, and then he died.   

Meditations & prayers upon the Creation and life of Adam.  
O Thou incomprehensible God, who wast from all beginning, even before the Creation of this Heaven and this Earth, and who for all Eternity wilt continue, after the dissolution of this thy great workmanship the world, which thou hast created.  
O Lord, I that am thy Creature, and composed of this Earth by reason of sin and ingratitude, do find myself most deformed and full of darkness, even as that Chaos the world it was, before thou O Lord didst look upon it, and give it light.  
Now my God, being in this depraved condition, and sitting in this darkness. In thy mercy look thou upon me, enlighten my soul, and create a new heart in me, and let thy blessed Spirit move upon the waters, and troublesome waves of my vast unbridled concupiscence & vain affections, whose floods are uncessant in this deep and darksome Sea, which is so full of danger to my distressed soul.  
O thou fructifier of the Earth, which by thy wonderful and unsearchable power, and comfort to mankind, created the trees, and herbs, and by making them to bud, and bring forth both blossomb, and fruit in their due time.  
Look mercifully O Lord upon this lump of earth I am composed of, and so refresh me with the dew of thy grace, as that timely, me from this thy Plant, growing from this earth, there may spring out the tender buds of contrition, the blossom of Charity, and the fruit of good works and piety: And let the holy Sunbeams of thy goodness, which thou hast set in the Firmament of thy mercy, preserve me from the bitter cold and frosts of Afflictions, & the mildews and blast of the temptations and vanities of this world, which are so dangerous in the bud and blossom of my good purposes and resolutions towards thee.  
O Lord, as thy wonderful works in the Creation are far beyond the weak capacity and apprehension of mortal man to conceive; yet by thy goodness, some things thou makest us sensible of, which are so visible to our mortal eyes, and so admirable to our due consideration, whereby we may so see thy such infinite power and providence; for which, to magnify, extol, and praise thee O thou God of omnipotency.  
As in wonder thou didst create thy Creatures abundantly, both by Sea and Land, so thy goodness did this great work, at a time of great mercy, and providence to Adam, whose Creation did next follow.  
O Lord, how abundant is thy goodness, and thy ways of mercy, except our sins provoke, and stop the current of thy blessings.  
What creature is more miserable than man in his birth, & first breeding, yet how wonderfully hast thou ordained, and provided for him, that though he came most feeble and crying into this miserable world, no creature more unable to help himself; yet thou O God by thy goodness, even before his being haste thus provided thy creatures and comforts to him for his preservation.  
O Lord, how unsearchable are thy works, and how infinite was thy goodness in the Creation of our first Father, of which substance I am; let me with wonder admire, & ●e astonished, that whiles I consider, that being so made of the very dust of the Earth: and yet to thy blessed Image, O Lord most mighty, O thou my only hope, and comfort of my soul, I want new words to express this thy boundless goodness; for how doth this thy so high and divine mercy herein meet with my so deep and earthly misery.  
Therefore let me who am this dust fall down in all humility before thee, upon that Earth of which I am made. And O Lord my maker, whose Image I am, let thy power & strength look in pity upon me, and bring me to the true knowledge of myself, and thy goodness: and grant that this thy holy countenance may so shine in me, that thereby I may be so enlightened by the splendour of thy grace, as I may break from the danger and darksome corners of my own blind and corrupt conditions so derived unto me: and so by seeing thy goodness and mercy with most ardent and burning zeal, I may adore and magnify thee my Creator.  
O the unconceivable loss of that happiness which was once in Paradise, that just reward of disobedience (and the dangerous ●●endant of spiritual pride, 〈…〉 knowledge) the bane of 〈…〉 ●nhappy children of Adam▪ 〈◊〉 ●eeth are set on edge by the forbidden fruit that he did eat (we still pursuing to know more than is needful, or that we ought to do), the which even at this unhappy time ●s so like to destroy us, and to throw us out of this our fool's paradise, which we esteem of so much 〈…〉 pleasure, (the which indeed) though it come far short of the Paradise of happiness in Eden; yet by thy mercy O God, to a sinful Nation, one of the best amongst the thistles, and thorns, of this our banishment from the happiness we have lost.  
O Lord open thou mine eyes, that I may discern before the cool of the day, and my latter end, my great offence against thee, & not to esteem it any safety for me, to run from thee, or by covering my secret or open sins with the fig-leaves of hypocrisy, it being of such weak and deceitful ●●vert to thy Allseeing eye.  
But oh thy mercy my Creator, in the depth of thy so just judgements, whereby we were lost, and by thy so great mercy, whereby we were redeemed and preserved.  
By one woman's pride, being seduced by the Serpent, we suffered, and by the humility of another, being full of grace, who was the Mother of our Redeemer that saved us, the one by the Cherubin in thy wrath, was kept out of that terrestrial Eden▪ The other with a heavenly salvation, brought us the blessed tidings of that happiness in celestial Paradise. And thus by thy mercy didst thou break the head of the Serpent, and saved us by that Messias the Saviour of the world.  
This is he, 
Joh. 1. 1.  that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and that Word was God, and the same was in the beginning with God, and all things were made by it.  
He was in the world, 
10.  and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.  
He came to his own, 
11.  and his own received him not.  
O unmeasurable mercy of thine, O God, thou pattern of perfect goodness, from thy glorious seat of mercy in heaven, thus to look upon us the great map of earthly misery, and objects of thy wrath.  
As for our redemption, 
14.  to make this word flesh to dwell amongst us, and to see the glory of it, as the glory of the only begotten Son, full of grace and truth.  
Surely there is no mercy or comfort like this thy incomprehensible goodness O Lord, thus to give thyself unto us. This is even such a gift as may sufficiently astonish the Receiver. Therefore, O thou bountiful Benefactor, give me grace even to forsake myself, and give it unto thee. Let me outstrip by a heavenly expedition those Shepherds and Kings, who came first to offer unto thee, the Angels then rejoicing, when this thy Word was made flesh, and came amongst us. Led me O Lord by that blessed star of thy grace to that manger of mercy. Let no difficulties hinder me in this my holy pilgrimage, to the blessed Bethlehem, where thou art. And if these three Kings took such a long journey to see thee O god, in that homely stable. What difficulties should we undergo to enjoy thy heavenly salvation. Let me imitate these Shepherds & Kings by their humility and offerings (O Lord) by offering even all that I have unto thee; my heart in perfect humiliation with those Shepherds, & both heart and goods in charity to the poor and distressed, inimitation of the humility and Presents of these three Kings.  
That at last, in the fullness of thy mercy, being delivered out of this misery wherein I am fallen, by the fall of Adam, out of earthly Paradise: And being thus redeemed by thee, as these devout Shepherds and Kings did see thy face here upon earth, in such humility; grant that I may so follow thee here, by such humble and harmless steps, as hereafter I may enjoy the happy fight of thee in glory in the heavenly Paradise, where the Saints and Angels do rejoice in thy presence, even for ever and ever.   

THE HISTORY of Cain and Abel.  
CAin being a tiler of ground, 
Gen. 4.  brought an oblation of the fruit thereof unto the Lord: and Abel did the like with the increase of his cattle, and of the fat of them, unto the which the Lord had respect: but unto the offering of Cain he had no regard; for which he was wroth, and his countenance fell down. Then the Lord said unto him, why art thou wrath, and why is thy countenance cast down? If thou dost well, shalt not thou be accepted? and if thou dost not well, sin lieth at the door.  
After this, Cain spoke to his brother, and meeting him in the field, did murder him. Then the Lord said unto Cain, where is Abel thy brother? who answered, I cannot tell, am I my brother's keeper? Again, the Lord said, what hast thou done, the voice of thy brother's blood cryeth unto me from the earth.  
Therefore thou art now cursed from the Earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thine hand. When thou shalt till the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a Vagabond, and a Run-agate shalt thou be in the earth. Then Cain said to the Lord, my punishment is greater than I can bear; behold, thou hast cast me out this day from the Earth, and from thy face, shall I be hid, and shall be a vagabond, and whosoever findeth me, shall slay me. Then the Lord said unto him, whosoever killeth thee, he shall be punished seven fold: and the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any man finding of him should kill him. Then he went out of the presence of the Lord, and dwelled in the Land of Nod, toward the East fide of Eden, and he knew his Wife, who conceived, and bore a son called Enoch: and he built a City, calling it by his name, Enoch.   

Meditations & Prayers upon the History of Cain and Abel.  
Oath miseries & mischiefs that befall us, when we have lost thy favour, and the happiness of thy guard and protection O LORD. For so it fell out with Adam & his generation after their falling from thee, and loss of that happiness & safety, the which in their innocency they enjoyed in Eden, and lost by their disobedience unto thee.  
How are our natures thus depraved when we have lost thy heavenly guidance, being made weak and miserable by our own perverse wills, as appears: but this so sudden and most unnatural murder of Cain, the first child of Adam, thus to kill Abel his most innocent brother.  
O Lord be merciful unto me a sinner, one of the sons of Adam, and who stands in the same corrupted condition, and under the lash of thy judgements, for my manifold sins; strengthen me with thy grace. Let the tears, my Saviour, in obedience unto thee, and shed for me, in the garden of sorrow, strengthen my soul, and repair the loss of thy favour O God, which my first Parents lost by their disobedience in that Garden of pleasure in Paradise.  
Let the vigour of thy blessed grace prevent all vice in me: and so endew me with thy goodness, as in stead of murdering. I may do all the works of mercy to my brother.  
Grant that the sacrifice of my prayers in humility may be presented unto thee with zeal and perfectness of heart; for as thou art of much mercy, so thou art a jealous God; therefore with Abel, let me bring unto thee even the fatness of uprightness and innocency, in the sincerity of my soul; then with the piety and humility of Abel shall I be acceptable unto thee.  
O Lord keep me harmless, that I may die in the happiness of Abel, and deliver me from the cruelty & hardness of heart which was in Cain, and from the mark of thy wrath for sin and iniquity.  
O Lord deliver me from such despair as was in Cain, for murdering this his innocent brother, whereby he became a vagabond, or to lose all hopes of thy mercy, with Judas, forbetraying his Master, and my Saviour.  
But make me sensible of thy bounty, and my penury, thy mercy, and my misery, thy strength, and my weakness, And Lord let thy infinite goodness and power, help and strengthen me, in all the inevitable dangers so subject unto me, by the fall of these my first Parents, whose infirmities I carry thus about me.  
But in Jesus Christ thy Son, & my Saviour, look in mercy upon me, whose innocence did exceed that of Abel's, the son of Adam, and whose sacrifice was of such incomparable value; for he sacrificed even himself for me a sinner. It was not the fat of Lambs upon the Altar, but this immaculate Lamb, the Son of God, he shed his most precious blood upon the Altar of the Cross for my Redemption.  
The sprinkling of whose blood speaks better things then that of Abel's, 
Heb. 12. 24.  for his cried for vengeance to thy seat of Justice (O God:) but tbis most precious blood did call for, and procured mercy, from thy seat of mercy. And therefore with much comfort in my suit and most humble confidence of thy mercy, I beseech thee with this most precious blood so shed for me, to wash from me the foul blemishes, and heal the putrefactions of my soul, fallen upon me, by that offence of my first Parents in Paradise; which sore I have made worse by my own loose and sinful scratching.  
But O my God, let his sufferings, patience, and obedience, satisfy for the vanity, rashness, and disobedience that reigns in me. Let the sufferings of him in whom there was no guile, stand for me which am so full of guilt.  
Let the blessing of that fruit of my redemption, more sweet than Manna which came from that tree the Cross, in this veil of misery, to which we are allotted, O Lord, it being of such inestimable value, let it take off the bitterness of that curse, which is so justly due unto me, for that pleasant and baneful deceiving fruit of that tree in Paradise, whereby we are made thus miserable, and subject to such cruelties as was in Cain, and all other infirmities: and by thy grace so qualify me with the gifts of innocence and harmless living; that by avoiding all the acts of cruelty, and shunning that dangerous rock of despair, at last I may arrive to that happy habitation of Eternity, prepared for the innocent, and such as trust in thee, and thy incomprehensible mercy; it being that place of happiness those Innocents' enjoy, who were the first most happy & harmless Martyrs in their Infancy, for thy sake O my Saviour.   

THE HISTORY of Noah.  
NOah was the son of Lamech, 
Gen. 5.  who did prophesy concerning him, of the comfort that should proceed from him, because of the earth, the Lord had cursed, & Lamech lived after he begat Noah, five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters.  
And it came to pass, 
Gen. 6.  when men began to multiply upon the face of the earth, and great impiety did abound; that God's wrath was kindled against them for their iniquities, for God saw the wickedness of man was great on the earth, & that every thought and imagination of his heart was evil continually: and the Lord said, I will destroy man from the face of the earth, both man and beast, and the creeping things, & the fowls of the air, for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord; for he was a just man and perfect in his generations.  
Noah had three sons, 
6.  Sem, Ham, and Japhet: and the earth was corrupt before God, and filled with violence. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me, for the world is filled with iniquity & violence; Behold, I will destroy them with the Earth. Make thee an Ark with rooms in it, and pitch it within and without, and fashion it as I direct thee: a window and a door shalt thou make in it: make it with a lower, a second, and a third story.  
For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh, and every thing that is in the earth shall die. But with thee will I establish my covenant, & thou shalt come into the Ark, thou and thy sons, and thy wife, & thy sons wives with thee. And of every living thing of all flesh, male & female shalt thou bring into the Ark to keep them alive with thee, and take in with thee food of all sorts, for thee and for them. And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him, and when the Ark was finished, the Lord said unto him, Come thou and all thy house into the Ark, for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.  
And bring into the Ark of every clean beast by sevens, 
Gen. 7.  and of unclean by 2. male and female: and of fowls by seven, to keep ●eede alive upon the face of the earth; for after seven days I will cause it to rain upon the earth 40. days & 40. nights●and Noah did as the Lord commanded him. He was 600. years old when the flood was upon the earth: and after he and his family were entered into the Ark, and all other living creatures, as 'twas commanded, the flood came upon the earth, and the Ark was born above the waters, and went upon the face of it, and the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth, and all the high hills that were under heaven were covered: and all flesh died that moved upon the earth, and the waters prevailed one hundred and fifty days upon the earth: but after God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged.  
And after the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated, 
Vers. 8.  and the Ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat, and after forty days Noah opened the window of the Ark, and sent out a Raven which went forth too and fro until the waters were dried up from off the earth: also he sent forth a Dove to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground: but the Dove found no rest for the sole of her feet, but returned to the Ark. But after seven days more he sent forth the Dove again, & the Dove came in to him in the evening, and in her mouth was an Olive leaf, so by that Noah knew the waters were abated upon the earth. After that he stayed seven days more, and sent the Dove out again, which returned no more unto him: then Noah removed the covering of the Ark, and looked, & behold, the face of the earth was dry, and God commanded Noah to come out of the Ark, and all that was within it; the which he did: and after he built an Altar unto the Lord, & offered burnt offerings on the Altar, which was pleasing to the Lord: and the Lord blessed the earth again and promised never to destroy it by water any more, and set the Rainbow as a sign thereof.  
And the Lord blessed Noah and his sons, and Noah began to be a Husbandman, and he planted a Vineyard, and he drank of the wine, and was drunk, and was uncovered within his tent. And Ham the father of Canaan saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without: then Sem and Japhet took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backwards and covered the nakedness of their father, and would not look upon his nakedness: but when Noah did awake, and knew what his younger son bade done: he said, Cursed be Canaan, a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years: and all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years, and he died.   

MEDITATIONS upon Noah.  
O Lord make me sensible of the grievousness of sin, a●d of the punishments that follow such transgressions: let this example of the old world in the time of Noah, teach me to look into myself, that I may see mine own iniquities, and the corruptions of my heart, and give me, O Lord, true repentance and contrition, that I be not drowned in the deluge of my sinfulness▪ but receive me with thy servant Noah into the Ark of thy saving mercy, and good Lord, let me not be like those secure & sinful persons, that built the Ark ' and they themselves perished, to give instructions to others, and myself to fall into impiety; to be left out of thy holy Ark of thy saving grace, or out of the blessings of thy holy Church, and so come at last to perish in my sins. O Lord, whiles I am in this ark of material safety and refuge, keep me thy servant safe from the danger of shipwreck and leaking, in the faith and unity of the church, not to distrust thy providence in this Ark, though I live and subsist among the bruit beasts & wild creatures of this world, who be as the Psalmist speaketh, like the horse & mule that have no understanding. Send the Dove of thy holy spirit with the olive branch of thy strength and comfort unto me, that may bring joyful tidings unto my soul of that happiness which I may expect when I shall be enlarged out of this flesh.  
Bring thy Ark, thy Church, O Lord, out of the troublesome waters of affliction & persecution, that now so grievously toss and disturb that poor model, that it may rest upon the safe mountains of Ararat, in the full power of thy merciful redemption. In thy due time take from over my understanding, the covering of the ark, that I may discern the pleasure of that heavenly habitation, which thou hast prepared for my soul, and that I may with a particular evidence of faith and piety, pass out of this Ark thy Church militant, to thy Church triumphant in heaven: and let me build here an altar of thanksgiving, with the incense of zeal burning in my heart, to praise thee for all thy mercies and goodness towards me.  
And good Lord, whiles I live here the small remainder of my days, let me not he overcome with intemperate desires, or sin in the wrong use of these thy creatures, that thou hast ordained for my miserable life: but to use them soberly without drunkenness or any excess, that thereby I may be the better enabled by the comforts of them, to serve thee in the moderate use thereof, and all other thy blessings. And good Lord give me grace to cover the infirmities of such father's, and others of the world, which I shall see to fall by weakness into these or the like offences, & charitably to judge of them, and to judge of my own ways, looking into my own actions: & with a single eye to judge myself before others, then shall not I cast a stone at another, but reflect the worst thought upon myself, so shall the soul of thy servant, O Lord, avoid all active scandal, and black reproach, & that curse which Cham received from Noah his father, standing upon record for ever.   

THE HISTORY of Abraham.  
ABraham was the son of Terah, 
Gen. 11.  who descended from Sem the eldest son of Noah, and Abraham married Sarah, who was barren: and it came to pass that Terah brought Abraham with Sarah, Lot, and others from Ur in Caldea, to go into the Land of Canaan. And they came to Haran, where Terah died, he being then two hundred and five years old; who being dead, by God's command Abraham departed from Haran, being then 75. years old, with Sarah his Wife, and Let his brother's son, with their substance & servants, and took their journey towards Canaan; In this his journey he came to Sheshem, and to the Plain of Morah, the Canaanites being then in the Land. There the Lord appeared to him, promising to give his seed that Land: and in that place did Abraham build an Altar unto the Lord.  
From thence he removed Eastward from Bethel, where he likewise built an Altar unto the Lord, and there called upon his Name. Then he after travailing further South, a great Famine coming upon that Land he went into Egypt there to sojourn: and when he drew near that Land, he began to be fearful of himself by reason of the beauty of his Wife, and desired her to say she was his Sister. Now after his coming there, the Egyptians were much taken with her beauty, & the Princes of Pharoah's Court acquainted the King therewith. So she was brought into his Palace, and for her sake Abraham was kindly used: but the Lord plagued the house of Pharaoh for detaining of her; then was Pharaoh angry with Abraham for not telling him she was his wife, and so he delivered her back, and sent him friendly away, with good rewards. Then departed Abraham out of Egypt, 
Gen. 13.  with Sarah, and Let his brother, with great wealth both in treasure and cattle, and travailed towards the South, to Bethel, where formerly he had been, even to the Altar he had made, and there he worshipped, (at that time, Abraham's cattle were so many, as Lot and he could not live together, and striving there was between their Herdsmen, even amongst the Canaanites their enemies. So Abraham spoke to Lot, and desired there might be no strife between them, they being brethren, and and left it in Lot's choice whether to go: and Let looking for his conveniency, he observed the Plain of Jordane was every way watered; for before Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, it was as the Garden of the Lord, and thither did Lot go, according to his own choice, and so they parted one from the other: Abraham continuing in the land of Canaan. Then it was, that the Lord again did promise that Land to the seed of Abraham.  
After this, Abraham removed his Tent, and dwelled in the Plain of Mamre, which is Hebron, and built there an Altar unto the Lord.  
And it came to pass, 
Gen. 14.  in some wars between the Kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, and other Kings, that Lot was prisoner, and his cattle taken, of which a message being brought to Abraham, he presently brought forth of his house, that were born & brought up there, three hundred and eighteen persons, and pursued them to Dan, and Damascus, & brought back Lot and all his substance, with the women and his people.  
Then brought forth Melchisadech, King of Salem, bread and wine unto him, who was a Priest of the most high God, and blessed Abraham, saying, Blessed art thou Abraham, of God, possessor of Heaven and Earth, who hath delivered thine enemies into thine hand: and then Abraham paid him tithe.  
After, 
Gen. 15.  this the Word of the Lord came to him in a vision, giving him much comfort, saying, how he would defend and reward him: but at that time Abraham was much troubled, he being childless, resolving to make his Steward his Heir: but the Lord promised him his own seed should inherit, and that he would multiply his generation upon Earth, and how they should go into Egypt, and sojourn there 40●. years, and be hardly used: but that they should be delivered, and return with great plenty.  
Now Sarah, 
Gen. 16.  Abraham's Wife, continuing barren, she had a maid-servant, whose name was Hagar, an Egyptian, whom she desired Abraham to receive, whereby he might have Issue, the which he did; this was ten years after he came to Canaan, and she conceived with child, whereupon she despised Sarah her Mistress, of which her pride, Sarah complained unto Abraham; who leaving her to Sarah, she dealt roughly with her, and thereupon she fled: but in her flying, coming to a fountain of water in the Wilderness, an Angel appeared unto her, enquiring from whence she came, and whether she intended; who by her being told the reasons of her journey, he persuaded her to return to Sarah her Dame, and to humble herself unto her. Moreover the Angel told her he would increase her seed, and that it should multiply exceedingly: and that in regard of her tribulation, she should call her son Ishmael. So when she was delivered of this child, Abraham called it Ishmael, himself being then fourscore and six years old.  
And after Abraham being ninety and nine years old, 
Gen. 17.  the Lord appeared again unto him, promising many blessings unto him, so he would obey him: and how he would multiply his seed exceedingly, and he fell upon his face: Then the Lord called his name Abraham, promising he should be a Father of many Nations, that Kings should proceed from them, and that he would give them the Land of Canaan for an everlasting possession, and to be their God, they keeping his Covenant. Then the Lord appointed Abraham, that every man-child of eight days old should be circumcised, as well of his house, as of strangers that were bought, that his Covenant might be in their flesh as an everlasting Covenant, and the uncircumcised should be cut off from the people. Then he commanded his Wife should no more be called Sarai, but Sarah: and how he would give her a son, and she should be a Mother of many Nations; then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, thinking it strange, he being an hundred years old, and Sarah ninety, than he desired the Lord that Ishmael might live in his sight: but the Lord said again, Sarah shall bear a son, and thou shalt call his name Isaac, with whom I will establish my Covenant: and thy prayer for Ishmael I have heard, and him will I bless and make fruitful, twelve Princes shall he beget, and he shall be a great Nation, and that Sarah shall bear Isaac, the next year. Then Abraham took Ishmael his son, with all the man-children that were borne in his house, 15. and that were bought with money, and circumcised them, the selfsame day, God had commanded him, himself being ninety nine years old when he was circumcised, and Ishmael thirteen.  
Now again, 
Gen. 18.  the Lord appeared unto Abraham in the Plain of Mamre, about the heat of the day, as he sat at his Tent door, and looking, lo three men stood by him, whom he ran to meet, bowing himself to the ground, saying, Lord, if I have found favour in thy sight, go not I pray thee from thy servant, but wash your feet under this tree, and I will bring you some bread to comfort your hearts, and after you may go: and they answered, do as thou hast said.  
Then Abraham made haste unto Sarah, and bade her make some cakes upon the Hearth; as likewise he made his servant kill a Calf, a●d so with some butter and milk he set before them, standing himself by under the tree, whiles they did eat. Then they asked for Sarah his Wife, whom he said was in the Tent: and he said, I will certainly come again unto thee, according to the time of life; for Sarah shall have a son: Sarah heard this being at the Tent door, and laughed within herself, because she and Abraham being old. And the Lord said, wherefore doth Sarah thus laugh; shall any thing be too hard for the Lord to do▪ at the time appointed will I return unto thee, even according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son, than Sarah was afraid.  
So the men did rise, and went towards Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before the Lord, and knowing of the Lords anger, he pleaded for that City, desiring the Righteous might not be destroyed with the wicked: and desired that if fifty righteous were therein, it might not be destroyed; for said he unto the Lord, shall not the Judge of the world do right? but Abraham's suit continued, from fifty to five and forty, so from forty to thirty, and so to twenty, and at last to ten, which not being in that City, the Lord went from Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.  
After this, 
Gen. 20.  Abraham went toward the South, and sojourned at Gerar, and once more said, Sarah was his sister, and Abimilech the King sent for her, whom God (before he touched her,) in a dream threatened death unto him for taking another man's Wife; so with many circumstances, in the fear of God, very religiously, he delivered her back to Abraham, blaming him for saying she was his Sister; the which he excused, by saying he thought them to have been a wicked people, and was afraid of his life pretending she was his sister, having both one father, but not of one mother. Then Abimilech gave them great store of cattle & treasure, reproving of Sarah for her dissembling▪ & he gave them leave to live in his Country, where they pleased: and by the prayer of Abraham, Abimilech was healed of his Infirmity, with his Wife, and women-servants, who before were barren, and now brought forth children, before they being accused for Sarah's cause.  
After this, 
Gen. 21.  according to God's promise, in due season, Sarah conceived, and bare Isaac, whom Abraham circumcised at 8. days old, and Sarah rejoiced in the Lord, and wondered at his mercies.  
And when he was weaned they made a great feast, but Sarah seeing Ishmael mocking, she said unto Abraham, cast out this bondwoman and her son; for he shall not be heir with my son Isaac, at which Abraham was troubled: but the Lord com●orted him, by telling him the comfort he should have by Isaac: so in the morning early he sent away Hagar and Ishmael, who went to the Wilderness of Beersheba, and God was merciful to them in their journey.  
After this there was great friendship, between Abraham and Abimilech, and all differences being reconciled, Abraham giving him Beefs and sheep.  
After this, Abraham planted a Grove in Beersheba, and called there upon the name of the Lord the everlasting God.  
Then the Lord to prove Abraham's faith, 
Gen. 22.  said unto him, take now thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and go to the Land of Moreah, and there offer him a burnt-offering, upon one of the mountains I shall show thee: so Abraham went early away with Isaac his son, two servants, his Asses, with cloven wood for the sacrifice: and the third day spying the place, he commanded his servants to stay behind, himself and Isaac going on to the mountain to worship, Isaac carrying the wood, himself the knife and the fire. Then said Isaac, Father here is the fire and the wood, but where is the Lamb for the burnt-offring; then his father answered that God would provide it: and coming to the place, Abraham built there an altar, and couched the wood on it, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him likewise on the Altar upon the wood: and Abraham stretched out his hand, and took the knife to kill his son: but an Angel from Heaven called unto him, saying, Abraham, Ab●aham, who answered here am I; then he said lay not thy hand upon the child, nor do any thing unto him; for now I know thou fearest God, seeing for my sake thou hast not spared thine only son. Then Abraham lifting up his eyes, behold there was a Ram behind him, caught by the horns in a bush, the which he took, and offered him a burnt-offering in stead of his so, and he called the place Jehovah Jireth as it is said this day, in the Mount will the Lord be seen: and upon this by an Angel from heaven the second time, a great blessing was promised unto Abraham and his seed, and that in them should all the Nations of the Earth be blessed. Then turned Abraham again to his servants, and so went to Beersheba where he dwelled.  
Now after this, 
Gen. 23.  when Sarah was one hundred, twenty, and seven years old, she died at Kiriartharba, in the Land of Canaa●, and Abraham mourned for her: but he arising from the sight of the Corpse, talked with the Hittites about a place for the burying of Sarah, he being there a Stranger, and they proffered him to bury her in the chiefest of their Sepulchers: but with much respect he desired them to speak for him unto Ephron to give him a Cave called Maeh Pelah at the end of a field for so much money it was worth for a burying place.  
Then Ephroa in the hearing of all the people, said, No my Lord, the field I give thee, and the cave that is therein, even in the presence of the fons of my people.  
Then Abraham bowed himself before the people, saying, Seeing thou wilt give it me●, I will give thee the price of the field, and so he gave him 400. filver shackles for it; after which, Abraham buried Sarah in that cave, it being against Mamre, the same is Hebron in Canaan.  
Now Abraham being grown old, 
Gen. 24.  took care for a Wife for his son Isaac; he then calling for his Steward, making him put his hand under his thigh, and causing him to swear by the Lord God of Heaven and Earth, that his son should not take a Canaanitish woman to Wife: but to go into his own Country and Kindred, and there to take a Wife for him.  
Then said his servant, what if the Woman will not come with me into this Land, shall I bring back thy son? To whom Abraham answered, beware that thou bring not back my son thither again. The Lord God of Heaven, who took me from my father's house, even from the Land where I was born, that spoke, and swore unto me, saying, unto thy seed will I give this Land, he shall send his Angel before thee, and thou shalt take a Wife unto my son from thence. Nevertheless, if the Woman will not follow thee, then shalt thou be discharged of thy oath; only bring not my son thither again: and the servant swore unto Abraham: so he took ten of his Master's Camels, who went his journey, & obtained Rebecka to be his wife, as in the story of Isaac is more at large expressed.  
Now after the death of Sarah, 
Gen. 25.  Abraham took another Wife called Keturah, which bore him divers children: and Ahraham gave all his goods unto Isaac: but unto the sons of his Concubines he gave them gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son; this he did in his life-time. And Abraham being one hundred, seventy, and five years old, he yielded up his Spirit, dying in a good age, and was gathered to his people, and his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the Cave with Sarah in the field Ephron.   

PRAYERS upon the History of ABRAHAM.  
GIve me obedience, O Lord, to follow the steps of my Governors, and to be guided by my Parents, as Abraham was by Terah his Father, who brought him to Haran.  
So likewise let me be obedient to thy blessed Inspirations, which may bring me to the heavenly Canaan. And as Abraham carried with him in his journey, his wife, Lot his Brother, with his servants and substance; grant that all my nearest affections, my flesh & blood may cheerfully go along with me in this my pilgrimage to my heavenly happiness, with the servants & substance of piety, and good works, to attend me. And in this progress in Moreh, and in the middle of the worldly Canaan, let thy blessed grace appear unto me, and grant that I may build an Altar of thanksgiving in my heart unto thee, and call upon thy Name. Preserve me in the famine, necessity, and miseries of this world, as thou didst Abraham.  
But above all worldly helps, keep me from the famine of thy favour and grace, that in thee my soul may be safe from the spiritual danger of faith and a good conscience. By thy good guidance remove me from danger, as Abraham was by his going into Egypt.  
Let not the fear and jealousy of worldly respects, make me to dissemble before thee O Lord, who knows't the secrets of my heart, as Abraham did by his Wife for his earthly safety, and deliver me from such bad intions of fleshly desires, as was in Pharaoh King of Egypt by detaining of Sarah, lest I partake of such punishments as befell unto him.  
And for such offences against thee, as wrongs and bad intentions done to any man or woman, grant tha● I may not continue in them, but timely to repent: and by leaving such sins, give satisfaction for wrongs done, as Pharaoh did to Abraham at his departure.  
And still to praise thee for thy mercies, O Lord, as Abraham did at his return to Bethel. Give unto me the like charitable love as was between Abraham & Lot in their parting; yea in the middle of such worldly fortunes as they had; that most dangerous rock of ambition, pride, and Emulation: and let me not be too much in love with the pleasant Plains of this worldly Jordan of earthly and vain delight, with Lot in his choice; for than shall I not be so near the like dangers as he was at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.  
Good Lord give unto me continual comforts, and assurances unto my soul, by thy mercies unto me, in the hope of that blessed eternity as thou didst give unto Abraham & his seed for their blessing in the earthly Canaan, and in this Plain of Mamre, the Hebron of this world, still let me praise thee for all thy mercies, with this father of the faithful. Give unto me O my helper, a helping hand unto my distressed Brethren, and friends of this world, as Abraham did to Lot in his captivity.  
With such blessings and comforts as was given to Abraham by that King and Priest Melchisadech: and not only to be humbly thankful unto thee for the same, but to pay that tithe of duty and obedience due unto thy Ministers as he did.  
In the sadness of my dejected spirit, and coldness of devotion towards thee, be thou my strength and comfort, as thou wast to Abraham, in thy promise to his seed: so shall not this my earthly Steward of vain and worldly suggestions, possess, annoy, and supplant my good thoughts, intentions, and hopes in thee, but still I may be made happy by thy heavenly mercies.  
In the barrenness of my soul, as it was in Sarah her body, & in such fruitfulness as was with Hagar; let me not despair with the one, nor presume with the other, lest I be cast out of thy mercies: but in my cries send me thy good Inspirations, to make me return timely and humbly with Hagar, and with leisure to receive thy promised blessing with Sarah.  
So by the humiliation of Hagar, and the hope of Sarah, I shall by thy mercy, with Abraham, enjoy the Ishmael of worldly comfort here, & the Isaac of everlasting happiness hereafter.  
Grant O Lord, that I may be courteous, and charitable to all men, as Abraham was to the three, who came to his Tent door, with the like agility and alacrity to do good works as he did for their provision, (that a● he, in stead of men, received Angel●: so by thy promised mercy to well doers, shall I receive with Abraham thy comfort here, and thy heavenly reward hereafter) where the Angels wait at the doors of heaven to receive the righteous.  
Take from me O Lord all distrusts of thy promises, with Sarah's second doubt, and with her, wonder at thy mercies; for by this faith and confidence in thee, I shall by thy goodness, and in good time, with this hope and welldoing, enjoy the happiness in heaven as she did after in earth in thy promise of Isaac.  
O Lord keep me from the unrighteousness which was in Sodom, lost by mine unworthiness the mediations and prayers of the faithful do not prevail for me before the Throne of mercy, lest that for my sins I partake of their punishment from thy seat of justice.  
O Lord, how miserable and wretched are we, even the best of us, without thy continual help, as it befell once more unto Abraham, in Gerer, by calling his Wife sister.  
O Lord keep me thy servant from relapsing into deadly sins; yea in the least offence against thee, as he did by this his infirmity.  
And in my wicked intentions, and thy just punishments for them, deal with me as thou didst with Abimilech, to repent, and leave off, before sin fully passes me.  
Keep me O Lord from a scoffing and mocking condition, as was in Ishmael, lest I be made a scorn amongst my friends, and be thrust from the society of the discreet.  
Let me O Lord, admire and imitate the great faith and resolution of this thy servant Abraham, the father of the faithful; give me grace cheerfully and faithfully, to go towards that holy Morah, and there to sacrifice my soul, and what is most near and dear unto me, to thee, to carry that sovereign wood to enkindle 〈◊〉 zeal in me: and the sacred and sharp kni●e, to cut off the branches of my i●bred corruptions, and fleshly love, and let the two servants, the World & the Devil stay behind, that they may not hinder my good purpose, and obedience to thy commands: and so by this blessed resolution and sincerity, I shall receive thy mercy, and a timely offering from thee, as Abraham had the Ram, with the comfort of thy heavenly grace and blessings, still more & more, to conform and strengthen me in a holy progress towards thee O Lord.  
Great was this faith in Abraham the Father, and perfect was the obedience of Isaac his son.  
But oh the incomprehensible goodness and mercy of our God and heavenly Father, and his son my Saviour by that his humiliation and obedience.  
This omnipotent God brought this his only begotten Son unto Mount-Calvary, where neither Ram nor Bullock was sufficient for that Sacrifice which was for our Redemption: but that Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world, he humbled himself, and was offered as a sacrifice for our sins upon the Cross, whose blood was far more precious then that of Rams; for this most precious, holy, and unvaluable blood is the cure of our corrupttd souls, by washing away the foul spots of sin.  
Oh was ever the like obedience, or ever any love like to this?  
O Lord, as the two servants whom Abraham left below the mountain might wonder at the resolution of their Master, & his son's obedience: so let my soul and body that desires to serve thee in imitation of these two servants with much humility, waiting in the bottom and valley where thou hast appointed us to stay, with wonder admire thy goodness & mercy, for this thy fatherly mercy unto us, and thy Son's goodness and obedience for us; for this is mercy beyond measure, to us most miserable sinners.  
O Lord, it is far beyond the apprehension of sinful man, to comprehend this thy so infinite goodness and mercy; therefore let me for ever with admiration look up to heaven, from whence thou descendedst, to do this so unspeakable a work of pity & mercy: and look down into myself who was the cause of this severe suffering, and see my own unworthiness: so by seeing this thy incomprehensible goodness, and my own vileness, in the humbleness of my heart, & mith admiration of thy goodness, that I may magnify thy Name for ever O Lord: and let sorrow & compunction for my sins be my companions for ever. Let me O God, see the foulness of sin, and shun it with perfect hatred, it being of that danger to me, and such an offence against thee, O Lord, even of such a dangerous consequence, as nothing could sufficiently satisfy for it, but that all-sufficient and great sacrifice upon the Cross, even by such a holy oblation as thyself OH righteous God, for sinful man. Therefore let the consideration of the shame and pain thou suffered'st upon that Tree, make me be ashamed to offend thee. Crucify all the wicked and vain affections that reign in my corrupted flesh, and bring me in true obedience unto thee. O thou Redeemer and Saviour of the world, give me patience and moderate sorrow for the loss of near friends, as Abraham was, for Sarah his wife, and to have a charitable & venerable regard unto them, as Abraham had, by the decent burying of Sarah. O Lord with Abraham make me careful, for the lawful and discreet disposing of my children, as he did for Isaac: And grant that thy good Angel may go before me, in such actions, and thy good inspirations so to guide me, not only for the earthly marriage of my son, but likewise that I may so use and enjoy these earthly comforts here, as that at last I may be brought to that blessed marriage in heaven; which happiness there, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, with the Patriarches, Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, and Professors of the true faith enjoy for all Eternity.   

THE HISTORY of ISAAC.  
THE servant of Abraham having taken his journey according to the direction of Abraham his Master, 
Gen. 24.  for the obtaining of a Wife for Isaac, and said he began his journey, having in his charge ten Camels, with such goods delivered unto him by Abraham, as were fit for his journey; who journeyed & came to a City called Nahur; where coming, he there made his Camels to lie down without the City, by a well of water, being eventide, the time that women used to come for water: and then he said, O Lord God of my Master Abraham, I beseech thee send me good speed this day, & show thy mercy to him. Lo I stand by the well of water, whiles the daughters of the City come hither, grant that the Maid to whom I say, bow down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; If she say drink, and I will give thy Camels drink also, let her be she that thou hast ordained for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast showed mercy on my Master.  
Now while he was speaking, Rebeckah the daughter of Bethuel came out with her pitcher upon her shoulder, who was very fair, and a Virgin: and going down into the Well, and filling her pitcher, and coming up, the servant ran and met her, saying, let me drink I pray thee a little water of thy pitcher. Then she hastily put the pitcher to her hand, and gave him to drink, saying, moreover, I will draw likewise some water for thy Camels, that they may drink: and then she ran again to the Well, and drew water for the Camels: So the man wondered at her, but held his peace, to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.  
And when the Camels had left drinking, the man took a golden Abilloment, and two bracelets, with ten shackles of gold, and gave them her: and he asked her whose daughter she was, saying, I pray thee tell me; as likewise if there be any room in thy Father's house to lodge in; she answered, I am the daughter of Bethuel, whom she bore to Nahor. Moreover she said, we have litter and provender enough, & room to lodge in: and the man bowed himself, and worshipped the Lord, saying, blessed be the Lord God of my Master Abraham, which hath not withdrawn his mercy and his truth from him; for when I was in the way, the Lord hath brought me to my master's brother's house. She then hearing this, ran strait home, and told her brother Laban thereof; who came presently to the man, and said unto him, come in thou blessed of the Lord, wherefore standest thou without, seeing I have prepared the room for thyself and thy Camels: so he unsaddled the Camels, giving them litter and provender. Then he, and the men that came with him washed their feet, and meat was set before him: but he would not eat, until he had delivered his message.  
Then he related how he was servant to Abraham, and how God had blessed him exceedingly, in goods, money, & servants, and how he had a son by Sarah in her old age, to whom his Master had given all his estate, with all such Circumstances as Abraham had commanded him as aforesaid; with such passages as was between Rebecka and him at the Well, and how he then gave her the Abiloments and Bracelets.  
Then he said further unto them, if you will deal mercifully, and truly with my Master, tell me, & if not, tell me, that I may turn me to the right hand, or to the left. Then answered Laban, ct Bethuel, that this thing is provided of the Lord, we cannot therefore say unto thee neither evil or good. Behold, she is before thee, take her and go, that she may be thy Master's sons wife as the Lord hath said. Then he bowed himself towards the earth unto the Lord, and gave unto Rebecka jewels of gold, and Raiments, as likewise gifts unto her Mother, and her Brother, and then did eat, tarrying there all night.  
Now in the morning when he was ready to depart, they desired Rebecka might stay only ten days with them: but he said, in regard God had prospered his journey, he desired forthwith to go to his Master. Then they desired to know Rebecka's mind, and have her consent, whose answer was, she would go; and so when they had blessed her, they let her go, and her Nurse likewise. So this servant, with Rebecka and her maidservants, took their journey, riding upon the Camels.  
Now Isaac being walking abroad in the fields to pray, in the evening, and looking about him, see these Camels coming toward him: and so soon as Rebecka see him, she lighted from her Camel: and ask the servant who it was that was coming toward them, he said, it was his Master; so she took a veil and covered herself. Then the servant telling him what he had, Isaac took her to his Mother Sarah's Tent, and she was his Wife, whom he loved.  
After this, Abraham dying, Isaac and Ishmael buried him with Sarah his wife, after whose death Isaac dwelled in Beerlahai Roy: and Ishmael dying at the age of one hundred, thirty, and seven years, was gathered unto his people.  
Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebecka, who continued for a while barren: but he prayed to the Lord, who heard him, and she conceived: and at the time of birth, being with child of two, they did strive in her womb, and she prayed unto the Lord. And the Lord said unto her, two Nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be divided out of thy bowels, one people shall be mightier than the other, and the elder shall serve the younger. So at the time of the delivery, the first that came out was red, and all over rough, him they called Esau: and after came the other, whose hand held Esau by the heel, who was called Jacob, and then was Isaac threescore years old.  
Now these two growing into years, Esau became a cunning Hunter, and lived in the fields: but Jacob was a plain man, and lived in Tents. And Isaac loved Esau, for Venison was his meat: but Rebecka loved Jacob.  
Now Esau coming one day very hungry & weary out of the fields, Jacob had made some pottage, of which Esau desired to eat; for which Jacob desired Esau's birthright, who answered, lo I am almost dead, what is then this birthright to me, so he swore unto Jacob to give it him, and contemning of it, he sold it; then gave Jacob unto him some bread and lentil Pottage, and so went away.  
And alter it came to pass that there was a Famine in the land, 
Gen. ●●▪  and by the appointment of God, Isaac he went to Gerar, and there the Lord appeared unto him, confirming his promise to Abraham his Father, and to the seed of Isaac. And being at Gerar, Rebecka being very beautiful, the men thereabouts did much look after her, insomuch as Isaac being afraid, he said she was his sister.  
And it came to pass one day, Isaac being sporting with her, Abimilech King of the Philistines looking out of a window did espy it, and called to Isaac, & said to him, surely she is thy Wife, and why dost thou say she is thy Sister; to whom he answered, that he was afraid of his life.  
Then said the King, why hast thou done this? If any one of my people had lain with her, thou shouldst have brought sin upon us. Then Abimilech charged all his people, saying, he that toucheth this man or his Wife shall die the death.  
After this, Isaac living in this Land, and sowing Corn, the increase was a hundred fold, and his cattle did increase exceedingly. So having a mighty household, and growing so great, the Philistines did envy him, insomuch as they filled up the wells which were digged in his Father Abraham's time. And being grown so rich and potent, Abimilech bade him be gone, saying, Thou art mightier than we a great deal. Therefore Isaac departed, and pitched his Tent in the valley at Gerar, and there dwelled, and opened the Wells again that the Philistines had stopped, calling them by the names that Abraham his Father had given them: and his servants digging in the valley, found there a Well of living water; for which there was strife between them and the Herdsmen of Gerer, they saying it was theirs.  
After this, they digged another Well, and there was strife for that likewise. After this, they digged another, for which there was no strife. So from thence he went to Beersheba, where the Lord appeared unto him the same night, and confirmed unto him the blessings and promise to Abraham his Father, and his seed: and there he built an Altar, calling upon the name of the Lord.  
Then came unto him Abimilech, with his friend, and a Captain of his Army, to whom Isaac said, why come ye to me, seeing you put me out from you, who answered him, we saw the Lord was with thee, and we used thee kindly, and sent thee away in peace, and therefore let there be now a Covenant between us, and let it be done; the blessed of the Lord do this.  
Then he feasted them, and they arose betimes in the morning, and swore one to another, departing in peace and amity.  
Now when Esau was forty years old, he took to wife Judeth a Hittite, and Beshemath another Hittite likewise, who were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebecka.  
Now Isaac growing old, 
Gen. 27.  and his sight failing of him, he called for Esau his eldest son, who came unto him, to whom he said I am now old, and know not the day of my death; wherefore I pray thee take thy bow, and go into the field and kill me some Venison, and make me some savoury meat, and bring it me, that I may bless thee before I die; the which accordingly Esau went about to do.  
Now Rebecka hearing what Isaac had said, after Esau was gone into the field, she told Jacob what Isaac had said, and pointed Esau to do, and how he intended to bless him before his death. So she commanded him, saying go to the flock, and from thence bring two Goat-kids; to make pleasant meat for thy Father, that he may bless thee; then said Jacob to his Mother, that his brother Esau was rough, and himself smooth; by which, if his Father should feel, he should seem to mock him, & so should he bring a curse upon himself in stead of a blessing: but she said, let the curse be upon me: So he went and brought them to his Mother, who made pleasant meat thereof, such as Isaac loved, than she put upon him fur cloths of Esau's which were in the house, and covered his hands, and the smooth of his neck with the skins of the Kids: and so putting the meat & bread into his hands, he coming to his Father, said, my Father, who answered, I am here; who art thou my son: and Jacob said, I am Esau thy first borne, I have done as thou bid'st me, arise I pray thee, sit up and eat of my Venison, that thy soul may bless me; to whom Isaac said, how hast thou found it so quickly my son; who answered, because the Lord thy God brought it to my hand. Then said Isaac unto him, come near that I may feel thee my son, whether thou be my son Esau or not; then Jacob came near him, who felt him and said, the voice is Jacob's, but the hands Esau's, wherefore he blessed him. Then he again asked him if he were Esau, who answered him he was; then he called for the Venison to eat, that he might bless him, the which was brought by Jacob who did eat; as likewise he drank wine.  
After which he called Jacob unto him to kiss him, who did so; then he smelled the savour of his garment, and blessed him, saying, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field, which the Lord hath blessed: and when Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, he departed from his Father. After which, Esau coming from hunting, came to his Father, who ask whom he was, told him it was Esau his first borne son, whereat Isaac was struck with great fear; then he told Esau of what had been done, and how he had blessed his brother that brought meat unto him and that he should be blessed; then Esau hearing this, cried bitterly.  
Then Isaac 〈…〉, behold I have made 〈◊〉 Lord, and all his Brethren 〈◊〉 made his servants. Also 〈◊〉 wheat & wine have I furnished him, and unto thee now 〈◊〉 what shall I do. Then 〈◊〉 said unto him, hast thou 〈◊〉 blessing, my father? bless 〈◊〉 me also my Father: and 〈◊〉 lift up his voice and wept. 〈◊〉 Isaac said unto him, that 〈…〉 of the land should be his ●welling place, and to have the 〈◊〉 of heaven from above, and 〈◊〉 time he should break off 〈◊〉 others yoke from off his 〈◊〉.  
After this Esau hated Jacob, & intended afterwards to kill him; of which ●●●becka hearing, did forewa●● Jacob, and wished him to fly 〈◊〉 Haran to her brother 〈◊〉 for safety, until Esau's 〈◊〉 was over.  
After this, 
Gen. ●8. ●  Isaac called for Ja●●● 〈◊〉 when he had blessed him, gave him a ch●●ge not to marry any of the daughters of Canaan, but presently 〈◊〉 to the house of Bethuel his ●●●hers Father, and take to 〈◊〉 of the daughters of Laban 〈◊〉 others brother: and so after he had blessed him with a 〈…〉 blessing, he sent him 〈…〉 Laban.  
Many years after this, Jacob came unto his ●ather Isaac, who was at Mamre, which is Hebron, where in the hundred and fourscore year of his 〈◊〉 he gave up the Ghost, and was gathered unto to his people, his sons Esau and Jacob burying him.   

PRAYERS upon the History of ISAAC.  
O Lord in thy mercy direct, assist, and prepare for me through the passages of this world, and in all my journeys, as thou didst for that faithful servant and Steward of Abraham's.  
Make me careful, discreet, and honest in all my actions and deportments, as this good Steward was unto Abraham in his undertake. So concerning my soul, and that so certain a passage to eternity; prepare me O Lord, and let my care therein transcend all thought of earthly cares, in this journey, which so nearly concerns eternal happiness or woe.  
Guide me in what I go about, & grant O God that I may take nothing in hand but what may please thee: and give unto me O Lord thy blessing in the prosecution, with a thankful heart unto thee for thy goodness, with this good servant, whose prayers and praises thou didst hear.  
Oh let me admire thy providence and power in this thy work at the Well to this servant: and by it let me consider how mercifully and strangely thou bringst things to pass even amongst us, though not so pointed out by thy holy immediate finger, as this particular.  
O bring me to thy happy Wellspring of thy happiness, O Lord, & the comfort of thy holy grace, to refresh & direct me, even that which so far exceeds all transitory consolations.  
And if this Steward did so much pray for his Master, and praise thee O God for thy goodness to him, how ought I, who am thy humble, but most unworthy servant, even to exceed him in many degrees, both in my humiliation for my sins, and thanksgiving for all thy manifold mercies; for infinite have they been to me, beyond desert and expectation. Therefore open thou mine eyes which are so dull, and raise up my heart which is so dead; that the one may see thy goodness, and the other may praise thee; that this my heart may mourn for my sins, & my eyes may flow into a fountain of tears for my offences.  
With this servant make me to be careful in what I shall undertake for others, as he was, who would eat no meat till he had delivered his message: so O Lord in things which concern thy service.  
Let me neither eat nor sleep until I have paid my vows, and devoted myself unto thee, for to be continued & confirmed in thy fear and favour is happiness indeed, for beyond all earthly hopes, whose bud is barrenness, and fruit strife.  
Give me this good Steward's care to be gone, and the cheerfulness of Rebecka to be going; by the one to discharge the trust to my friend: and by the other to gain the love of my neighbour.  
So O Lord, in that which concerns thy service, let me with resolution and alacrity come speedily unto thee, so shall not the Bethuel of self-love, nor the Laban of worldly care hinder me from my due obedience & service of thee.  
Give me grace in imitation of this Grand-fire of the holy Patriarches, the pattern of obedience upon his Father's Altar, and in his constant serving of thee; that with a contemplative heart, and a penitent soul, I may continually call unto thee, both morning, evening, and at all times, as he did in that evening he so happily met Rebecka: so by thy mercy shall I obtain thy heavenly Comfort as he did in earthly respects, by meeting of her, and so be joined unto thee for all Eternity.  
Give me a tender care & regard for the obsequies of my Parents, and to join in charity for the performance thereof, though with my enemies and most jealous friends, as it was done by Isaac and Ishmael to their father Abraham.  
Grant me patience O Lord in the barrenness of my dejected spirit, & give me grace to persevere in my prayers unto thee, as Isaac did, in the barrenness of Rebecka: so in due time thou wilt hear me as thou didst Isaac, and in thy good time shall I receive the fruit of thy consolation.  
In the strive between the flesh and the spirit as was in Rebecka's womb, the which by reason of sin and my infirmities, I am so subjected unto, be merciful unto me O God, and grant that still I may pray unto thee; so by thy grace shall I be delivered, and know thy goodness and good pleasure, as she did in her two twins.  
And grant O Lord, that the blessings of thy good grace may bear rule over this my rough and rude flesh, to keep it in subjection.  
O Lord deliver and preserve me thy servant from the like hunger & weariness in my soul, as it was with Esau in his body, that I may not endanger it for the lentil light vanities, & fading refreshments of fleshly desires, thereby to lose my heavenly inheritance, & that blessed birthright in heaven, purchased for me by the birth, and left me by the death of thou my blessed Saviour and Redeemer.  
In much grief of heart, I must confess O God, & with great shame and confusion to myself, that I have done much evil in thy sight; Esau was not more ready by that dear Bargain to eat those lentil pottage, than I have been to swallow up sin, & offences against thee even for a less value, my greediness to sin was such, as even for a piece of bread have I finned against thee; having been lead away by the meanest of temptations, and therefore I have no other plea for myself but thy mercy O Lord, and the merits of my blessed Saviour, whose Sacrifice for sin upon the Cross, for us that were Gentiles was of far more effecacy, than the blood of Bulls or Goites were for the Israelites.  
Deliver me O Lord, from the power of my infirmities, which still pursues me to endanger my soul, as it dealt with Isacc, who fell into his father Abraham's error, by calling his wife sister when he came to Gerer amongst the Philistims; and give me the like Chastity, and Charity as was in Abimeleck, towards him and Rebekah.  
Give me O Lord that increase of thy grace, and mercy to sustain my soul as thou didst give unto Isacc in his corn to preserve his body, and grant that I may be that good ground mentioned in thy Gospel, to bring forth, the fruit of good works a hundred fold, as it was in Isacc's grain. Preserve me from the envy of the wicked, an● from the suggestions to sin, that the well-springs of thy grace may not be taken from me, but raise up unto me the living wellspring of thy mercy, that the stir of flesh and blood may have no power to take from me, as the material wells were taken from Isacc; and bring me O Lord unto the spiritual Beersheba, so appear thou in mercy unto me there, as knowing thy goodness, and believing thy promises, I may build an Altar of praise and that thanksgiving unto thee.  
In the passages of this world grant that I may always, preserve love and friendship both with my friends neighbours, and even my enemies, with firmness and integrity of heart, as was between Isacc and Abimeleck.  
And let me so obey my Parents in my courses & carriages of this world that I may not prove a grief of heart unto them, as Easu was to Isacc and Rebekah by his marrying of Judeth the Hitite.  
O Lord, give me such obedience unto them as may cause and draw their blessings upon me, both in their lives and at their deaths, to be near unto them in duty & obedience as Jacob was, whom in mercy thou didst look upon, and after gave such blessings unto, by whose offspring all the Nations of the world were made happy.  
And still to continue obedient unto them, as Jacob was unto his father in his marriage; for this obedience to Parents is pleasing to thee O Lord, and calls down for thy blessings upon us the children of men, let there always continue in me a near and pious regard, for the interring of 〈◊〉 Parents with a conjunction of charity in the doing of it, even with thy greatest emulaters, as it was in the charitable performance of this sol●mnetie, between Jacob and Easu in the burying of Isacc their father.  
So by this brotherly concord, and charitable deportment, we shall be made partakers of that mercy thou O ●ord hast promised, to them that do the works of mercy; to which happy to co●●ition and the fruition of that happiness, bring me O Lord, even 〈◊〉 his sake who was the true 〈◊〉 of patience, amongst his enemy's and gave forgiveness even to his crucifiers.   

THE HISTORY of JACOB.  
AFter Isaac had blessed Jacob, 
Gen. 28.  and in obedience to his Father and Mother, departing from Beersheba, taking his journey to Padan-Aram, coming to a certain place, it being night, he took a stone, and laying it under his head, he fell asleep▪ and falling into a dream, there appeared unto him a ladder, which reached from the earth to heaven, Angels going up and down upon it, and the Lord standing above it, who said, I am the Lord, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac thy Father, the Land whereupon thou sleepest will I give unto thee and thy seed, and they shall multiply exceedingly, & in them shall the families of the Earth be blessed, and promising to preserve him in all his journeys, and to bring him again to that Land. Now Jacob awaking, was afraid, but did think the Lord was in that place, saying to himself, it was the house of God, and that there was the gates of Heaven. Then after he had risen early in the morning, he took that stone and set it up as a pillar, and pouring oil upon it, called it Betheil.  
Then Jacob made a vow, that if God would preserve him in that journey, by giving him bread to eat, and clothes to put on, and to come in safety back to his father's house, that then the stone which he had set up as a 〈◊〉 in that place, should be God house, and he would serve him, and pay the tenths.  
Then Jacob travailed towards the East Country: and in his journey he came to a Well in the field, where sheep lay fast by to be watered, and there was a great stone upon the Well's mouth: and people being thereby, he asked them from whence they were, who answered, they were from Haran; then he asked them if they knew Laban the son of Nahor, who answered yes; then ask them how he did, they said in health: And moreover, saying, here is coming his daughter Rachel to his sheep; then he told them, is it not time to water the sheep? and they answered they could not, until the flocks came together, and till some came to roll away the stone from the Wells mouth.  
Now whiles they were talking, comes Rachel with her Father's sheep; when Jacob saw, he rolled the stone off from the Well's mouth, and watered her sheep; then Jacob kissed Rachel, and wept, telling her he was Rebecka's son; then presently she ran and told her father, the which when Laban heard, in hast he came to him, and kissed him, bringing him to his house. Then Jacob told him all the cause of his coming, and continuing there a month with very much friendship and love; then Laban pretended it was too much for him to serve him for nothing, ask him what wages he would have. Now Laban having two daughters, Lea and Rachel, Jacob told him he would serve him seven years for Rachel the younger daughter, for Jacob loved her, the which Laban agreed unto. And Jacob having served the seven years, which seemed unto him but as a few days, in regard of his love to her. Then Jacob demanded her of Laban, according to the agreement; upon which Laban called his neighbours together, and made a feast: but in the evening he put Leah his other daughter into Jacob's bed, who went in unto her: but in the morning when Jacob spied it, he asked Laban wherefore he had so deceived him, by giving him Leah in stead of Rachel; then Laban answered it was not the manner of that place to give the younger before the elder.  
So they came to a new agreement, which was to serve seven years more for Rachel, the which he performed, and then Laban gave Rachel unto him for his Wife; yet Jacob loving Rachel better than Leah: but when the Lord saw Leah was despised, he made her fruitful, and Rachel was barren: and Leah conceived and bore a son, calling him Reuben: and she again conceived, and bore a son, calling him Simeon; a third time she conceived and bore a son, and called his name Levi; and conceiving the fourth time, she bore a son, and called him Iduah, and praised the Lord, than she left bearing.  
But Rachel envied this her Sister, and said unto Jacob, give me children, or else I die. Then was Jacob angry with Rachel, saying, am I in God's stead which hinders thee from fruit? then she recommended her maid Bilhah unto him, who went in unto her, by whom he had a son, who was called Dan: and she conceived a second time, and bore a son, who was called Nepthali: and when Leah saw she had left bearing, she gave her maid Zilpah unto Jacob, who bore him a son, whom they called G●d: and after she bore another, call him Ashur.  
Now Reuben went into the fields in the time of wheat Harvest, & found Mandrakes, bringing them to his mother Leah, the which Rachel hearing of, she desired her to give her some of her son's Mandrakes, but she refused her; Then Jacob coming out of the field in the Evening, Leah met him, saying, come in unto me, for I have bought my son's Man drakes: so he slept with her that night, and she conceiving, brought forth a 5th son, whose name was called Issachar. And after this she bore another son, calling him Zebulon, and likewise a daughter after that called Dinah. Then God looked upon Rachel, and she conceived and brought forth a son, and she called his name Joseph.  
Then Jacob was wondrous desirous to depart from Laban with his Wives and Children to go back into his own country, but Laban was loath to part with him, in regard he had prospered so well by his company and service.  
But Jacob was loath to stay with him; then Laban offered him what wages he would demand, the which he refused: but said he, give me all the black-spotted and black sheep in thy flock, and I will serve thee, and thus they were agreed: so Jacob kept one part, and Laban's sons kept the other, being three day's journey between.  
Then Jacob took the rods of green Poplar and Hazle, & chestnut tree, pulling white streaks in them, putting them in the watering Troughs, when the sheep came to drink: and drinking there when they were hot, which after made them bring forth spotted Lambs: so he increased exceedingly, whereat Laban and his sons were not well pleased.  
Then the Lord spoke unto Jacob to go into his own Country; 
〈◊〉 31.  upon which he sent for his two wives, Rachel and Leah into the fields, telling them of the bad countenance their father showed him: and how God's pleasure was, he should return to his own Land, with many other circumstances of God's wonders & mercies to him, and of the great commands from God he had to return to his own Land.  
Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon Camels, and carried away all his flocks and substance he had gotten, & took his journey to Isaac his father into the Land of Canaan; before which, when Laban was gone to his sheep-shering, Rachel took away his Idols: so they going away towards Gilead, than Laban with his brethren followed him seven days journey, and overtook him at Mount-Gilead. There God came to Laban in a dream by night, and bid him take heed he spoke any thing but good to Jacob: so he overtook him, and they pitched both their Tents near one another.  
Then Laban said to him, thou hast stolen away mine heart (meaning his Idols) and carried away my daughters; telling of him, how he intended to have sent them away with the mirth of Songs, Timbrels, & Harps, blaming him for his foolish doings, and taxing him for stealing his gods; withal, letting him to know how he could be revenged on him, but that the God of Jacob the night before had appeared unto him, who bid him take heed that he spoke any other but good nnto him. More he said, because thou longest so much after thy father, thou needest not so to have gone away, and to steal my gods. But Jacob told him how he feared that he would have taken his daughters from him: and for his Gods he wished him to make a search for them, and with whom he found them that party should die: but Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them; then Laban came and searched in Jacob's, Leah's, and the maids Tents, out there could not find them, and so came to Rachel's, but she had put them in the Camel's litter, and sat do●ne upon them, Laban after he had searched the Tent, after came into the Stable, where Rachel was sitting, who said unto him, my Lord be not angry that I cannot rise up before thee, for the custom of women is upon me, so after his search he could not find his Idols.  
Then Jacob was angry with Laban for pursuing after him in that manner, telling him of the hard service he had under him, even for twenty years, and of the increase of his wealth by his care, withal how hardly he had fared, and what strict account he gave unto him, that if the least by mischance were given, he had made it good, if they were stolen by day or by night he did the like; how in the day he had been consumed with the heat, and in the night with frost, and was kept from sleep, and how he had served fourteen years for his two Daughters, and six years for his sheep; and how he had changed his wages ten times, and but that the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isacc, had been with him, he had sent him empty; telling of him that God seeing his tribulation, and the labour of his hands, had rebuked him the last night.  
Then Laban became exceeding mild, with many expressions of fatherly love to his wives and there children, and desired to make a firm covenant of friendship with Jacob, the which being agreed upon, then there was a Pillar set up to be a token thereof, and his brethren made a great 〈◊〉 of stones, wherepon they 〈◊〉 all eat, which heap was likewise to be a witness between them of their friendship, and they called it Galeed, both of them promising, neither of them to come over that heap●● one to the other for evil, to wh●● both of them did swear, Laban swear by the God of Abraham and Nahor his father; but Jacob by the fear of his father Isacc: Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, calling his brethren to eat, who did so, and stayed upon the mount all night; and early in the morning Laban roase up kissed his sons and daughters, blessing them, departed, and went to his place again.  
After this Jacob going on his journey, the Angels of God met him, whom he called the host of God: But being in great fear of his brother Esau, he sent messengers before unto him, with messages of great respect, and humiliation: but they returning, told him that Esau was coming against him with four hundred men, at which he was sore troubled, and divided his people and cattle into companies, thinking if the one were taken the other might escape, and then Jacob prayed unto the Lord saying, O God of my father Abraham and Isacc, which said unto me, return unto thy country and to thy kindred; I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies, which thou hast showed unto me, for with my staff came I over this Jordan, I pray thee deliver me from the hands of my brother Esau, etc.  
So he tarried there that night, and preparing a present for Esau of several cattle, sending his servants before with them in two droves, himself following, commanding them to say if Esau met them and inquired whose cattle they were, there answer should be they were presents sent from Jacob to him, and himself followed, so they went before and he stayed that night with the company, but in the night he aroase, taking his two wives his two maids, and his eleven children, sending them over the river Jabhek with all his goods.  
Now after they were gone there was a man wrestled with him until break of the day, who seeing he could not prevail, he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh, which was loossed, but Jacob would not let him go without a blessing, than he asked his name, and he told him Jacob, then said he thy name shall be called no more Jacob but Israel, because thou hast had power with God, thou shalt also prevail with men, and so blessed him, and as he parted the Sun aroase, and he halted upon his thigh; therefore the children of Israel eat not the sinew that shrank in the hollow of the thigh unto this day.  
After this Jacob going on in his journey, he espied Esau coming towards him with his four hundred men; then he divided his children to Rachel and Leah, and to the two maids, putting the maids and their children foremost, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph hindmost, and he going before them meeting Esau bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near him, than Easu ran to him, and did embrace him, and kiss him, and they both wept, and seeing the women and children Esau asked who they were, who answered, they were the children God hath given to thy servant, and so in order the mothers and their children came towards him, and bowed with great reverence, than Esau asked him what he meant by all them drous of cattle he met, he told him I have sent them to thee, that I may find favour in the sight of my Lord, than Esau said I have enough my brother, keep them to thyself, but Jacob answered, nay, I pray thee if I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present, for I have seen thy face as though I had seen the face of God, because thou hast accepted me therefore take my blessing, for God hath had mercy on me, and so Esau took it; then Esau said, let us take our journey and I will go before thee, but Jacob said, my Lord thou knowst the children are tender, and the cattle with young, and it were dangerous to go too fast, but go my Lord before thy servant, and I will drive softly until I come to my Lord unto Sire, and so they parted, Esau going that day to Sire. And Jacob going towards Succoth, where coming he built a house, and made provision for his cattle, after he came to Sechem in the Land of Canaan, and pitched before that City, there he bought a parcel of Land, of the sons of Hamor, where he set up an Altar, and called it the mighty God of Israel.  
And it came to pass, that Dinah the daughter of Jacob by Leah, 
Gen. 43.  going to see the daughters of that country, Shechem whom the son of Hamor Lord of that country seeing took, and defiled, and after loved her exceedingly, desiring his father to obtain her for his wife, who according to his sons desire went to speak unto Jacob about it, but Jacob and his sons having heard of this wrong done to Dinah, were much displeased thereat, because he had wrought such villainy in Israel; Now Hamor coming to Jacob told him how the soul of his son loved Dinah, and desired she might be his wife, and how by that there should be a continual friendship between them, their children, and people, with great expressions of what love & happiness this would produce; now they seemed to likewel of those Propositions, only they would not marry with an uncircumcised people: but if they would be circumcised they would approve thereof, all which Hamor and his son Shechem liked well of, consenting there unto, and Shechem deferred not the doing of it, his love was such to Dinah; so the father and the son acquainted the City therewith, who considering of the conveniency and neighbourhood that hereby might come; so they consented, and all the men children were circumcised, even as they went out at the gate of the City: But on the third day after when they were sore, two sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi took each of them a sword, and going boldly into the City, killed every male, as likewise Hamor and Shechem, taking Dinah out of Shechem's house and so went away, and the other sons of Jacob came up and spoiled the City, taking all their goods, because of this wrong done to their sister Dinah: But Jacob was troubled at this act of Simeon and Levi, saying, they had made him stink among the Inhabitants.  
After this God commanded him to arise, 
Gen. 35.  and go to Bethel, and there to make an Altar unto him, the which he did before, commanding all his household to put away their false Gods whose counsel they observed, giving him all their Gods, or, Idols, and there earrings, and buried them under an Oak. So they went towards Bethel, and there built an Altar, and after many promises there of God unto him, and his seed, with his worship, and testimonies of thanksgiving unto God, for all his mercies, he departed from Bethel, and in their journey Rachel travelled in childbirth, and was in danger: but the Midwife did comfort her, telling her she should have a son, and in her extremity, before she died, being delivered, called the child Benjamine, and so gave up the Ghost, & was buried at Bethlehem, Jacob comamnding a Pillar to be set upon her grave. Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to Isaac his Father, to Mamre, where Isaac died.  
After this Jacob lived in the Land of Canaan, where after his other sons▪ sold Joseph into Egypt, unto which Land in the time of famine, by God's great Providence Jacob and all his sons did repair. All which, and the rest of the life and acts of Jacob and his sons, with jacob's Death and Buryall, are at large expressed in the ensuing History of Joseph.   

PRAYERS upon the History of JACOB.  
O Lord, as Jacob by his obedience unto his Parents obtained the blessing from them, & in his journey to Padan-Aram thou didst mercifully preserve him. So bless me O Lord in what I go about, and give me true obedience towards thee, that thou mayst give me the blessings of thy holy grace to protect me through the manifold dangers of my soul, in the pilgrimage of this world, and that thy blessed inspirations may abide with me.  
In the distresses so subject unto me for my sins, be thou merciful unto me, as thou wast unto Jacob, when his lodging was the earth, and his pillow a stone. If the Father of the Patriarches, and descended from the Father of the faithful, was well contented with such thine appointment, and did praise thee for thy mercies? Let me O Lord, a most miserable sinner, and who have been most disobedient unto thee, reflect into myself, & with sincerity of soul, by looking into my bad deservings, so see them, as with compassion to myself, I may bewail my manifold sins, and by the remembrance of them, fall down upon this earth, and think myself so unworthy, as to esteem all the sufferings and h●rd passages of this world, not punishments sufficient to expiate my c●ying offences: but s●ill to bewail my sins, and to lie down with my head upon this s●one of Contrition with patience and thankfulness to submit to thy blessed will.  
And in these my straits and most just sufferings, thou who sittest in heaven, and then stood upon the top of that ladder which reached down to the earth ●here Jacob was▪ Look down from thence O Lord, and speak mercifully unto me, and let thy blessed Angels descend down upon this ladder, and steps of thy favour to assist and comfort me in all my troubles.  
O Lord, awaken thou my drowsy spirit, that by thy grace, casting off all fears, I may apprehend thy goodness, and discern the gates of heavenly mercy; for which, let me rise early: and by taking up steadfast thoughts, and good resolutions, I may raise up a pillar of praise, pouring thereon the oil of cheerful thankfulness for all thy mercies, as Jacob did upon that stone he stepped on: and for all thy preservations let me pay my vows unto thee.  
Lord keep me thy servant from voluptuousness and curiosity, the great distempers of these times, and by the example of Jacob thy servant, and the Predecessor of Kings, who desired but bread & raiment; give me grace to mortify all my vain affections, & surfeitnig pleasures of this world, and most willingly to be contented with thy good pleasure.  
Continue thy good providence towards me, as thou didst unto Jacob in his journey, when he came to that Well, where he so happily met with Rachel.  
Let me always admire thy wonderful ways, and means, whereby thou bringst thy mercies and blessings unto us. And let me O Lord well consider and see, how many times in the course of my life, thou hast showed me thy works of mercy; by preventing me in things, whereby my own weak judgement and intentions, destructions of soul and body had been the issue. And likewise how by ways and means of thy special providence, thou hast protected and directed me into the ways of safety: and therefore as Jacob after thy good guidance was brought unto that Well, from which he rolled the stone, to do the office of courtesy.  
So good Lord, in imitation of him for thy goodness, let me remove by thy mercy all sad and heavy thoughts from over those good inspirations, which thou hast infused into the dry well of my heart, springing from thy grace: And that I may abundantly distribute this holy water to the rich, by friendship and courtesy, and to the poor by love & charity.  
And as Jacob in the fullness of joy in his heart by meeting of Rachel, wept: so good Lord, when I shall find at any time the blessed comfort of thy grace, and good inspirations, let me embrace them with true thankfulness and rejoicing in thee for thy mercies: and in fear for thy judgements, weep for my offences against thee.  
In the manifold uncertainties & unconstancies of the friendships of this world, and worldly men, give me such honest care and patience as Jacob had by Laban's hard servitude unto him.  
Still to discharge the trust committed unto me, & never to distrust thy mercies and deliverance. And though things fall not according to my will and choice, as it fell out with him about Rachel's; let me O 〈◊〉 with Jacob's other seven years patiently wait thy liesure and 〈◊〉 time.  
So for thy heavenly mercies in 〈◊〉 dryness and coldness of my resolution's and devotions towards thee, let me with patience and prayer wait for that good time when thou shalt enlarge and deliver my soul from this thraldom and bondage of self-love, and the snares of worldly slavery, whereby I may be fitted for my journey to the heavenly Canaan, there with joy to meet Isaac and all that rest in the happiness to see thy presence O God.  
Remove from me all distrusts of thy promises and providence, that common and dangerous rock, whereupon this weak Vessel we sail in is so subject to fall upon, by the cross winds and troubled Seas of our unfaithful constitutions; for so it was with Rachel, when in the bitterness of her anguish she said to Jacob, give me children, or else I die.  
But O Lord, so instruct my heart with such firm hope in thee, as all doubts may depart from my weak and stupid senses, and open thou the eyes of my understanding, clearly to discern how much thy mercy and goodness are unto me, beyond my deservings, and so by this pious patience I shall in thy good time enjoy the fruit of my hopes, as Rachel after did by her issue in Joseph, that happy son of so good a father, the very comfort and preserver of the seed of Israel.  
Good Lord let it enter into my heart to see with admiration & wonder how thou didst perform thy promises unto Abraham by this numerous generation of Jacob. After so many doubts, by fleshly weakness, barrenness of constitutions, and the great difficulties and dangers in the s●verall stations, journeys, & perigrinations of Abraham and Isaac, and the great opppession of the seed of Jacob in Egypt, and their long and dangerous peregrination to that land of promise, & how from them to come our Saviour.  
O mercy beyond man's apprehension or deserving, whereof they did only hope for, and the which we the sons of the bondwoman now see, and so happily enjoy: and by the enjoyment of which promise, both the seed of Jacob and the Gentiles receive such an unvaluable blessing, being such, as all the hopes & promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were but types: and the tempoall plenty of the Patriarches in their land of milk and honey, and all their deliverances were but shadows in comparison of the fruits of this hope, and the superabundant mercy of our redemption from sin, and the fullness of heavenly grace bestowed upon us by this promised Messias, in whom they in hope did rejoice, & by whom they and we are made so happy in the enjoyment and fruition.  
Oh the hidden treasure of happiness, now so transparent & glorious, enlighten my soul O Lord, that by this blessed enlightening, I may see thy wonderful mercy, and my own misery, to put off all worldly love and vain delight, and make sale of all my earthly merchandise to purchase this jewel, even the love of thee my Saviour, far more precious than that manna was to to the children of Israel; for no earthly love is like in perfect happiness to this of thine O thou Saviour of the world.  
Good Lord, let me continually obey blessed command and holy inspirations, and as Jacob by thine appointment returned into Canaan and with expedition took his journey, with his wives, children, family, and goods.  
So Lord, let me break from the love of this world, wherein I am made a slave to sin, and so subjected to uncertainties as Jacob was, for twenty years, with so many changes of his wages.  
And let not the allurements and vain promises of this world detain me, either for the enjoying the fading profits therein, or to stay in the vanities thereof, with such hopeless and helpless promises as Laban did intend to him. But let me with resolution and sincerily follow thy good directions, & break from such things as may offend thee to the hurt of my soul.  
Deliver me O Lord from the fears and jealousies, so subject to the infirmities of flesh and blood, & from the danger of my enemies, as thou didst Jacob from his brother Esau; let thy protection be with me, and thy holy Angels to guard me. And as Jacob sent his wives, children, servants and goods in order and came before him, with such Presents and directions as might appease the fury of his brother Esau.  
So O Lord in my progress towards thee by a true faith and humble confidence; give me a holy care & prudence to send unto thee beforehand, my heart and good intentions, with my goods of piety and good works that in mercy thou mayst receive me, so shall I escape thy judgements so justly due to me for my sins.  
O Lord keep me from a wand'ring spirit, and a loose condition, so shall I avoid evil, and all occasions of evil. Let me not do like Dinah, who went a gadding to see the daughters of Shechem, whereby she was entrapped and brought to folly, so shall I avoid sin to myself, and the punishment of others, as it befell to that unhappy Prince and City of Shechem.  
And O Lord preserve me from the like cruelty that was in Simeon and Levi, whose revenge was implacable and transcendent, being odious in the eyes of their Father and to all good people; yet by this terrible judgement, teach me to know thy displeasure against sin, and leave such severe punishments to thy unsearchable judgements.  
O thou my Creator, Redeemer, & Preserver, or wonderful in my creation, infinitely good in my redemption, and most merciful in my preservation; the great strength, guide, and director of Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob, in all their passages, through the Deserts, and Labyrinths of this crooked world; which mercies of thine O Lord have been most bountifully and mercifully extended unto me, a most miserable sinner. Therefore as they at all times, and upon all occasions, in their several stations, for thy mercies & deliverances unto them, did build Altars; and offer Sacrifices of thanksgiving unto thee for thy goodness: and Jacob according to his vow, at the beginning of his peregrination, where he set up that stone, did now at his return in that very place pay his vows even at Bethel, with much solemnity and piety.  
So O Lord, let it enter into my heart, duly to consider of thy great mercies unto me from time to time, let me not cast them behind me, but call them to mind: and as Jacob by finding thy mercies, did not forget them, when he came back to Bethel, but there did perform his duty and promise unto thee: so let me always remember thy deliverances unto me, and how in my several distresses I have so seen and found them, as they having moved good thoughts and purposes in me of better living, good Lord, let not my dulness and fleshly vanity dispossess me of a happy resolution to serve thee. But as thou hast begun in me by thy good motions, so continue them and thy mercies unto me, that by the strength of thy grace and good Inspirations, I may persevere in all good purposes to pay my vows, and upon the Altar of my heart to sacrifice most humble thanks and praise unto thee, even for ever.   

Here beginneth the History of Joseph.  
THE HISTORY of Joseph.  
JAcob loved Joseph more than all his children, 
Gen. 37.  because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a coat of many colours: and Joseph dreamt certain dreams, the interpretation whereof much displeased his brethren, and they hated him, and conspired to slay him. But Reuben his brother heard it and delivered him out of their hands. But it came to pass afterwards that they stripped him, and took and cast him into a pit where was no water; and they sitting down to eat bread, a company of Ishmaelites came from Gilead with their Camels, bearing spicery, balm and myrrh; going into Egypt.  
And Judah did persuade his brethren not to kill Joseph that his blood might not be upon them, but to sell him to these Ishmaelites: and they sold him to a Midianite Merchant for twenty pieces of silver, and he carried Joseph into Egypt.  
And his brethren took joseph's coat, and killed a kid and dipped the coat in the blood, and brought it to their father who knew it, and said, It is my son's coat, and some beast hath devoured him: and Jacob rend his clothes and mourned for him many days.  
And all his sons and daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted: after the Midianites sold Joseph into Egypt, unto Potiphar an officer of King Pharaohs, who was Captain of his guard.  
Now the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man, and found favour in the sight of Potiphar, who made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put into his hand; and the Lord blessed the Egyptians house for his sake, and Joseph was a goodly person and well favoured.  
It came to pass that Potiphars wife grew in love with him, tempting him to lie with her; but he refused, and said unto her, My Master hath been kind unto me, and committed all to my charge: and how then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?  
But she daily solicited Joseph: and one day coming into the house she caught him by the garment, saying, lie with me, and he left his garment and fled: then she called aloud unto the men of her house, and said, An Hebrew is brought unto us to mock us, he came and urged to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice: and when he heard me cry he left his garment and fled: and when her lord came home she told him of this passage: and his wrath was kindled against Joseph, and put him into prison. But the Lord was with Joseph, and showed him mercy, giving him favour with the keeper of the prison.  
And it came to pass that Pharaoh King of Egypt was wroth with his principal Butler and Baker, 
Gen. 40.  and they were committed to the prison where Joseph was; and they dreamt dreams both of them one night.  
Joseph coming unto them in the morning, they were sad: and he said unto them, Wherefore look you so sadly? and they told him their dreams, the which he interpreted; that the Butler within three days should be released and in King Pharaohs favour, and deliver the cup into his hand as he formerly did: and Joseph desired him to remember him with Pharaoh when he was thus advanced.  
And Joseph interpreted the Baker's dream, that within three days he should be hanged on a tree: and it came to pass the third day was Pharaohs birthday, that he made a feast to all his servants: and he restored the chief Butler to his place, and he gave the cup into Pharaohs hand, but he hanged the Baker: yet did not the Butler remember Joseph, but forgot him.  
And it came to pass after two years that Pharaoh dreamt that he stood by the river, 
Gen. 41.  and there came out of the river seven well favoured kine, fat, and they fed in a meadow; and seven other kine came out of the river ill favoured, and lean, and stood by the other kine, and did eat them up: and he dreamt a second dream, that seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good; and seven thin ears and blasted with the East wind sprung up after them, and the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears.  
Pharaoh being troubled at these dreams, sent for the Magicians of Egypt, but none of them could interpret these dreams.  
Then spoke the chief Butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do Remember my faults this day, thou wast wroth with me and thy chief Baker, and put us in prison; and we dreamt both in one night, and there was in the prison with us a young man an Hebrew that did interpret our dreams, and according to his interpretation, I was restored to favour, and the Baker hanged.  
Then Pharaoh sent for Joseph out of the dungeon, and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh: and Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamt a dream, and no man can interpret it: and Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me. God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.  
Then Pharaoh related his dream, and Joseph answered,  
The dream of Pharaoh is one▪ the seven good kine, are seven years; and the seven good ears, are seven years; and the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them, are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the East wind, shall be seven years of famine; this is the thing that God is about to do. Behold, there shall come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt; and there shall be seven years of famine, and the famine shall consume the land. Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt, to provide in the seven years of plenty, for the famine that shall follow: and the counsel was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and his servants.  
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, for as much as God hath showed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: therefore thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou: and Pharaoh set him over the land of Egypt: and took off his Ring from off his hand, and put it upon joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck.  
And he made him ride in the second Chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: he made him Ruler over all the land of Egypt, and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah Priest of On.  
Then was Joseph thirty years old.  
And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt, and gathered provision in the seven years of plenty, for the seven years of famine that was to follow: and unto Joseph was borne two sons before the years of famine came: and he called the name of the first Manasseh, and the name of the second Ephraim. After the famine was over the land of Egypt, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread, and Pharaoh sent them to Joseph; then Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians: and all Countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn, because the famine was so sore in all lands.  
Now when Jacob heard there was corn in the land of Egypt, 
Gen. 4●▪  he said to his sons, Get you thither and buy for us from thence, that we may live and not die: and joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt, but Benjamin stayed at home with Jacob: and the sons of Israel came into Egypt unto Joseph who sold the corn, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth: and Joseph knew them to be his brethren, but made himself strange unto them, and spoke roughly unto them: and he said unto them, Whence come ye? they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food: then said Joseph unto them, Ye are spies: to see the nakedness of the land you are come: and they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come: we are all one men's sons, we are true men, thy servants are no spies: and they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren the sons of one man in the land of Canaan, and behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not living. And Joseph said unto them, Ye are spies, hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither: and he put them altogether three days into prison, and Joseph said unto them the third day, If ye be true men, let one of your brethren stay here in prison, and go ye and carry corn for the provision of your houses, and bring your youngest brother to me, and they did so: and they said, one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother Joseph, in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us, and we would not hear: therefore is this distress come upon us. And Reuben answered them saying, spoke I not unto you, saying do not sin against the child, and ye would not hear, therefore behold all his blood is required; and they knew not that Joseph understood them, for he spoke unto them by an Interpreter: and he turned himself about from them and wept, and returned to them again, communing with them, and took from them Simeon and bound him before their eyes: so Joseph dispatched them away with their provisions, and commanded their money to be put in their sacks: and they laded their asses with corn departed thence: and opening their sacks and there finding their money they were afraid, saying one to another what is this that God hath done unto us?  
And they came unto Jacob their father, unto the land of Canaan, and told him of that befell unto them: but Jacob was troubled to part with Benjamin, and said unto them me have ye bereft of my children, Joseph is not living, and Simeon is not here, and ye will take Benjamin away, all these things are against me: then Reuben spoke unto his father saying, kill my two sons if I bring him not to thee: and he said my son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, if mischief befall him in the way, then shall ye bring down my grey hairs with sorrow to the grave.  
But the famine continuing sore in the land, 
Gen. 43.  and having spent that which they brought out of Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons go again and buy us some food in Egypt: and Judah spoke unto him saying, the man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face except your brother be with you; and Israel said, Wherefore dealt you so ill with me, as to tell the man that you had another brother? And they said, The man did ask us strait of our state and kindred: and Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the young man with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die for want of food, both we and thou, and also our little ones; and I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not to thee, then let me bear the blame for ever: and then father Israel said unto them, If it must be so, Now then do this; Take of the best fruit of the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present: a little Balm, and a little Honey: Spices and Myrrh, Nuts and Almonds; and take double money in your hand, and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks: carry it again, peradventure it was an oversight: take also your brother and go again unto the man; and God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother and Benjamin: If I be bereft of my children, I am bereft.  
And they took that present, and Benjamin, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph: and when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the Ruler of his house, Bring these men home, kill provision and make ready, for they shall dine with me: and they were brought thither, but were afraid by reason of the money they carried back in their sacks: and they communed with the Steward, and told him of it: and he said, Peace be to you, fear not, your God, and the God of your fathers hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money: and he brought Simeon unto them: and he bringing them into joseph's house, gave them water to wash their feet, and he gave their Ass' provender.  
And when Joseph came home they brought him the present, bowing themselves to him to the earth: and he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke; is he yet alive: and they answered, They servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive: and they bowed down their heads and made obeisance; and he lift up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin his mother's son, and said, Is this your younger brother of whom you spoke unto me? they said, Yes: and he said, God be gracious to thee my son.  
And Joseph made haste, for his bowels did yearn upon his brother, and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber and wept there; after he washed his face and came out, and refrained himself; and said, set on bread: and they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and the Egyptians that did eat with him by themselves; because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews: and they sat in order according to their age, and they sent messes unto them from before Joseph; but Benjamins' mess was five times as much as any of theirs: and they drank and were merry with him.  
And Joseph commanded his servants to fill their sacks with food, 
Gen. 44.  and to put in every sack their money; and to put a cup of silver in the sack of the youngest with his corn money, and betimes in the morning they were sent away, they and their Asses. And when they were gone a little way, Joseph said unto his Steward, Follow after the men, and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good? and he overtook them, and he spoke unto them as he was bidden, and they said unto him, Wherefore saith my Lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing. Behold, the money which we found in our sack's mouths we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy Lord's house, silver or gold? with whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my Lords bondmen. Then they speedily took down their sacks, and opened every man his sack; and he searched, beginning at the eldest, and left at the youngest; and the Cup was found in Benjamins' sack: then they rend their clothes, and laded every man his Ass, and returned to the City.  
And Judah and his brethren came to joseph's house, and they fell before him to the ground: then Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that I can divine? and Judah said, What shall we say unto my Lord, what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: Behold, we are my Lords servants, both we and he also with whom the Cup is found. and he said, God forbid I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up unto your father: then Judah came near unto him, and said, O my Lord, let thy servant I pray thee, speak a word in my Lords ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant; for thou art even as Pharaoh: and Judah said, our father was loath to part with Benjamin, saying unto us, Ye know that my wife bore me two sons, the one is dead, and surely he is torn in pieces for I saw him not since; and if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my grey hairs with sorrow to my grave: Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the young man our brother be not with us: seeing that his life is bound up in the youth's life, that he will die; for thy servant became surety for the young man unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, than I shall bear the blame to my father for ever. Now therefore I pray thee, let thy servant abide in stead of Benjamin a bondman to my Lord: and let the young man go up with his brethren: for how shall I go up to my father and this Benjamin be not with me, lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come to my father.  
Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him: and he cried, 'Cause every man to go out from me, and there stood no man with him while he made himself known to his brethren, and he wept aloud; and he said unto his brethren, I am Joseph, doth my father yet live; and his brethren could not answer him, for they were troubled at his presence: and Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near unto me I pray you and he said: I am Joseph your Brother whom you sold into Egypt: be not angry with yourselves that ye sold me hither, for God did send me before you to preserve life: for there is and shall continue a great famine, And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity upon earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So it was not you that sent me hither, but God; he hath made me father to King Pharaoh, and a Ruler in Egypt: Haste you and go up to my father, and say unto him, thus saith thy son Joseph, Come down to me and thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, thou and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou haste.  
And you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen; and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither.  
And he fell upon his brother Benjamins' neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon him: moreover, he kissed all his brethren and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him: and the fame thereof came to Pharaoh, and it pleased him and his servants: and Pharaoh said Joseph, Bid your brethren load their beasts and go into Canaan and bring your father and all his families, and take wagons to bring them, and all they have; for they shall have the good of the land of Egypt, and eat the fat thereof: and Joseph gave them wagons according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and provision for the way, with changes of raiments: But to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment: and to his father he sent twenty Asses laden with good things of Egypt: and provision for his journey into Egypt: and they went up out of the land of Egypt unto the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father, and told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is Governor over all the land of Egypt: and jacob's heart fainted, for he believed them not: and they told him all the words of Joseph which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived: and Israel said, It is enough, Joseph my son is yet alive, I will go and see him before I die.  
And Israel took his journey with 
Gen. 46.  all that he had, and came to Beersheba and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac: and God spoke unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob, I am God, the God of thy father, fear not to go down into Egypt, for I will make thee a great Nation: I will go down with thee into Egypt: and I will also bring thee surely up again, and Joseph shall put his hands upon thine eyes.  
And Jacob departed from Beersheba with all his families: with all their cattle and goods, and came into Egypt, Jacob and all his seed with him: all the souls of the house of Jacob which came into Egypt were threescore and ten: and he sent Judah before him to Joseph to direct his face to Goshen: and they came to the land of Goshen: and Joseph made ready his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father, and presented himself unto him, and he fell on his neck and wept; and Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die since I have seen thy face. And Joseph said unto his brethren, and to his father's house, I will go up unto Pharaoh and tell him, my father and you are come hither: and when Pharaoh shall ask you, What is your occupation? Ye shall say, Thy servants trade hath been about cattle; that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen: for every Shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.  
Then Joseph told Pharaoh of his father's coming into Egypt: 
Gen. 47.  and presented five of his brethren unto him: and Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? and they said, Thy servants are Shepherds both we and also our fathers: and they said moreover, The famine is great in Canaan, now therefore we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen. And Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee: in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any man of activity amongst them, then make them rulers over my cattle.  
And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh; and Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou? and Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The years of my pilgrimage ar● one hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been.  
And Jacob went out from before Pharaoh: and Joseph placed his father and his brethren in the best of the land, as Pharaoh had commanded: and Joseph nourished his father and his brethren, and all his father's household according to their families.  
And Israel did grow and multiply exceedingly in Goshen: and Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the whole age of Jacob was one hundred forty and seven years: and the time drew nigh that Israel must die, and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, put I pray thee thy hand under my thigh: and deal kindly and truly with me: Bury me not I pray thee, in Egypt▪ But I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their burying place: and he said, I will do as thou hast said: and he said, Swear unto me: and he swore unto him: and Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head.  
And Jacob being sick, 
Gen. 48.  Joseph brought his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim with him, and Jacob was told of their coming, and he strengthened himself and fate upon the bed: Israel, after he had blessed Joseph, called for his two sons to bless them. Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age so that he could not see: and Joseph brought them near unto him, and he kissed them, and embraced them: and Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face, and lo God hath showed me also thy seed: and Joseph brought them out from between his knees; and he bowed himself with his face to the earth, and Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand, towards Israel's left hand, and Manasseth in his left hand, towards Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him: and Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it upon Ephraim's head who was the younger; and his left hand upon Manassehs head, guiding his hands wittingly, and he blessed Joseph, and said, God before whom my father's Abraham and Isaac did walk: the God which fed me all my life long unto this day; the Angel which redeemed me from all evil bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my father's Abraham and Isaac, and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.  
And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he held up his father's hand to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manass●hs head: and Joseph said unto his father, Not so my father, for this is the first borne; put thy right hand upon his head: and his father refused, and said, I know it my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of Nations: and he blessed them that day saying, in thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and Manasseh: and Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die, But God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers. Moreover, I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren which I took out of the hand of the Amorite, with my sword and with my bow.  
And Jacob called all his sons, 
Gen. 49.  and said, gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days: gather yourselves together and hear ye sons of Jacob, and hearken unto Israel your father: and he blessed them, and he charged them and said, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers, in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittit in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought for a possession of a burying place: there they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife: there they buried Isaac and Rebeckah his wife: and there I buried Leah: and when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.  
And Joseph fell upon his father's face and wept upon him, and kissed him: And Joseph commanded his servants the Physicians to embalm Israel: and forty days were fulfilled for him, (for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed) and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days: and when the days of mourning were passed, Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Go up and bury thy father as he made thee swear: and Joseph went up to bury his father, and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt; and all the house of Joseph and his brethren, and his father's house; only their little ones they left in the land of Goshen: and there went up with him both Charets and Horsemen, and it was a very great company: and they came to the threshing floor of Arad which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days: and his sons did unto him according as he commanded them, and carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave as he appointed.  
And Joseph returned into Egypt, he and his brethren, and all that went up with him: and when joseph's brethren saw their father was dead, they said, Peradventure Joseph will hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did to him: and they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, so shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee, now the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin, for they did unto thee evil: and now we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father: and Joseph wept when they spoke unto him: and his brethren also went and fell down before his face, and they said, Behold, we be thy servants: and Joseph said unto them, Fear not, for I am in the place of God: but as for you, ye thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good to bring to pass as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear you not, I will nourish you and your little ones: and he comforted them.  
And Joseph dwelled in Egypt he and his father's house, and lived one hundred and ten years, and saw Ephraim's children of the third generation: and the children of Machir the son of Manasseh, were brought up upon joseph's knees.  
And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die; and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land, unto the land which he swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: and Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.  
So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt: and after in the time of Joshua, when the children of Israel came over Jordan they brought his bones out of Egypt and buried them in Shechem in a parcel of ground Jacob bought of the sons of Hamer the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver, and it became the inheritance of the sons of Joseph.   

MEDITATIONS Upon the History of Joseph who was sold into Egypt by his brethren.  
O Lord God everlasting, which out of thy great mercy to mankind, sentest thy only begotten Son Jesus Christ into this world, for the redemption of me a sinner: and who for my sake was sold unto the Jews by Judas, one of his disciples: was crucified for my sins: and is gone before to the heavenly Canaan, to be a Mediator at thy right hand for my sinful and famishing soul: for his sake be thou merciful unto me, that am a sofourner here in this Egypt of the world, that the vain temptations of the flesh, may not have power over me; but give me the like Chastity that Joseph had. Neither let me grow in love with the fleshpots of voluptuousness; nor be blinded with the Egyptian darkness of this world. But grant, I do most humbly beseech, for his sake my Jesus, that was sold, and died for my sins, that I may happily pass this pilgrimage here in this land of Egypt, and use my stewardship like blessed Joseph, by dealing honestly and truly with all men: and where I find favour and friends, as he did, make me ever thankful unto thee for thy mercies therein; and to be religiously careful to discharge that trust which shall be committed unto me like Joseph; that it may be with me at my accounting day, as it was with the wise steward to know what to do.  
For blessed is that servant whom the Lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Good Lord give me charity towards my Christian brethren, and as concerning them that have done me wrong, as Joseph did; Take revenge from the soul of thy servant, O Lord, I beseech thee; and give me grace to do good against evil: and to forgive, as I desire to be forgiven of thee.  
And blessed Lord, after a●● thy blessings and mercies, here in this Egypt that thou hast prepared as an earthly comfort for me a sinner, make me ready, and at thy call to take a happy passover, for my passage towards the celestial Canaan; and in the mean time give me grace to overcome all difficulties, and to be obedient, to my taskmasters and superiors, in this vale of trial, where the enemies of my soul, strive against my intended journey towards the Land of promise. Good Lord keep me from hardness of heart, and the Egyptian plagues and punishments my sins have so much deserved: grant me, O Lord, a good and prosperous voyage through the Red sea of danger; help my hungry and drooping soul, feed and strengthen it with the Manna of thy blessed Spirit. Good Lord give me grace to subject myself to follow and obey my Governors as the Israelites did submit to Moses and Aaron; and not to follow mine own devises and inventions, But to obey them that thou hast appointed over me; and not to be one of the murmuring Israelites, neither Seditious and contentious, against Order and Government, with Corah, Dathan, and Abiram. But in all things to submit my judgement, in the way of my Pilgrimage, to the Rules of Jesus Christ, and the governors of his holy Church, as thou O Lord, hast commanded; not following my own fancies, nor the suggestions of my spiritual enemy that clothes himself like an Angel of light, to deceive, and fill my soul full of spiritual pride, the sin that cast down the Angels from heaven: from which most dangerous rock, O Lord, deliver thy servant, that puts his trust under the shadow of thy wings of mercy: that at last I may come with humbleness of heart and soul, through the wilderness of this world, so full of cares, troubles, and temptations, to the land of promise, that heavenly Jerusalem which thou hast prepared for them that love and fear thee, and fight a good fight through this desert of danger and diffidence; let me not in this passage, O Lord, lean to the pleasures and plenty of Goshen, but obey thy laws delivered at Mount Sinai, and cheerfully go on like a good Israelite, in this my passage the which so much concerns my soul, so that, good Lord, by a true faith and confidence in thee, with a happy perseverance in the obedience of thy Commandments, at last I may arrive amongst them, that live and fear thee, in that heavenly feast of tabernacles, and receive the comfort of that blessed saying, Come ye blessed of my Father; and in that heavenly and eternal habitation, where all tears shall be wiped away, and all afflictions and temptations cease, sing Halleluiah, and praise, and honour, and glory, and worship, unto the Lamb that sits upon the throne for ever.   

THE HISTORY of Moses.  
AFter the death of Joseph 
Exod. 1.  the children of Israel did increase exceedingly in Egypt, and grew very mightily: and another King reigning after the death of Pharaoh, he was jealous of their greatness and strength, and therefore set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens, and to keep them under, in so much as they made their lives bitter with hard bondage by work in mortar and brick, and all manner of service in the field with much rigour: and the King in his jealousy of them, commanded the Midwives to kill the male children, and to save the daughters, that should be borne of the Israelites: but the midwives feared God, and would not do his commands: but excused it to the King.  
And there was a man of the house of Levi that took to him a 
Exod. 2.  wife of his own tribe, who conceived and bore him a son being a goodly child, whom for fear she hid three months: but when she could not longer hide him, she made for him an ark of bulrushes, daubing it with slime and pitch, putting the child therein, and laid it amongst the flags by the river's side.  
And his sister stood a far off to see what would become of the child. And Pharaohs daughter coming down the river with her maids to wash herself, found the ark, and sent her maids to fetch it: and opening of it found the child, who wept, and she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews children: and Pharaohs daughter commanded the sister that watched the child, to call an Hebrew woman to nurse it; and she went and called the child's mother; and Pharaohs daughter said unto her, Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages: and the woman took the child and nursed it: and the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaohs daughter, who took him for her son, and called his name Moses; because she drew him out of the water.  
Now after he grew to years, when the Israelites had hard burdens upon them, he went out amongst them, and seeing an Egyptian strike an Hebrew, one of his brethren, who warily looking about him, and seeing no body, he slew the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.  
And the second day going abroad he saw two Hebrews at strif: and he said to him that had done the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow? who answered, Who made thee a Judge over us? Intendest thou to kill me as thou didst the Egyptian? then Moses was afraid, and when Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses, but he fled from Pharaoh and dwelled in the land of Midian: and there sitting down by a well, came seven daughters of the Midian Priest, who drew water into troughs to water their father's flock: but there came other shepherds and drove them away: But Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock● who returning to their father, he asked the reason they came so soon back, and they told him, that a certain Egyptian had helped them: and he commanded to call him to his house to eat bread: who came and dwelled with him: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter to wife, by whom he had a son called Gershom.  
Now after this Pharaoh died, and the children of Israel were exceedingly grieved by reason of their great bondage; and they cried unto the Lord, who heard them, and remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  
Now Moses keeping the flock of his father in law, 
Exod. 3.  and leading them to the back side of the desert, he came to Horeb the mountain of God: where appeared unto him an Angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in the middle of a bush: and Moses turned towards it, to see why the bush was not burnt: then God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses, draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground: and told him, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God: and God said unto him, I have seen the afflictions of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry, by reason of their taskmasters: and told Moses that he would send him to Pharaoh, and to bring his people of Israel out of Egypt: and Moses said unto God, Who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? and God told him he would be with him, and that for a token thereof, after he had brought them out of Egypt, they should serve God upon that mountain: and Moses said unto God, When I come unto the children of Israel, how shall they believe me? then said the Lord, Say unto them, I am, hath sent me unto you.  
But Moses answered and said, 
Exod. 4.  Behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: and Moses having a Rod in his hand, the Lord commanded him to cast it upon the ground; and it became a serpent, and Moses went from it.  
And the Lord said unto him, Put forth thy hand and take it by the tail: the which he did, and it became a Rod again.  
And the Lord said more to him, Put thy hand into thy bosom, the which he did, and when he took it out, his hand was leprous as snow: and he said, put thy hand into thy bosom again, the which he did, and it became as it was before: yet nevertheless Moses was very scrupulous to go: Excusing himself that he wanted eloquence and was slow of tongue: and the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth, who maketh the dumb, or deaf; the seeing, or the blind, but I the Lord? and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and then he appointed Aaron to join with him, and to assist him in this great work, for the deliverance of the children of Israel out of Egypt. And so Moses returned to Jethro his father in law, to desire leave to go into Egypt to see his brethren, who bid him go in peace. And Moses returned towards Egypt with his wife and children, and the Rod in his hand, with command from God to do wonders before the King of Egypt: And Aaron met Moses in the mount of God, and kissed him.  
Moses telling him, all the words of the Lord who had sent him: and all the signs he had commanded him: And then they two gathered all the Elders of Israel together, and did the signs in sight of all the people, who believed them, and worshipped God, for his goodness.  
After that they went to Pharaoh, desiring they and the children of Israel might hold a Fast unto the Lord in the wilderness. But he would not obey the message and voice of the Lord.  
And they said again, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us, let us go, we pray thee, three day's journey into the Desert, to sacrifice unto our God lest he lay his plagues upon us, of pestilence and sword: but Pharaohs heart was hardened, and would not let them go, and added more to their work, whereof they complained mightily to Pharaoh. But he said, Ye are now idle, therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the Lord: and the people murmured at Moses because their task was greater since his coming to them; and Moses was much troubled thereat.  
Then the Lord spoke unto Moses, 
Exod. 6.  and told him of all his promises unto Abraham and his seed, to give the land of Canaan; and of the bondage of Israel in Egypt, and his Covenant, and sent him again to Pharaoh to let the children of Israel go out of his land: but all this while the children of Israel did mightily murmur against Moses and Aaron; Moses was then fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three.  
And they went both unto Pharaoh again, and Aaron cast down his Rod before Pharaoh and it became a serpent: and the sorcerers of Pharaoh did the like with their enchantments: But Aaron's Rod swallowed up all theirs.  
And as God commanded, Moses and Aaron in the morning they met Pharaoh at the water, and at the River's side, and desired that the people of Israel might go and worship God in the wilderness.  
But he refused, than he smote the waters in the sight of Pharaoh, and they were turned into blood; and the fish died, and the river stanke; yet Pharaohs heart was hardened: this continued for seven days, in which time they digged for water to drink.  
And the Lord commanded Moses 
Exod. 8.  to go again unto Pharaoh, to let the people of Israel go, and still his heart was hardened: and Aaron stretched forth his hand with the Rod over the ponds, and caused frogs to come over the land of Egypt; and the Magicians did th● like: then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said Entreat the Lord that he may take away the frogs from me and my people, and I will let the people go that they may do service unto the Lord.  
And Moses said, That thou mayst know that there is none like the Lord our God, the frogs shall depart, but only they shall remain in the rivers; and the Lord did according to the word of Moses.  
And the Lord commanded to say unto Aaron to stretch out his Rod and smite the dust of the land, that it may be louse throughout all Egypt, and it was so: and the Magicians attempted to do the like but could not.  
And they told the King it was the finger of God; yet he harkened not unto them.  
Then the Lord commanded Moses to go early in the morning unto Pharaoh as he came forth and speak to him, that the people of Israel might go to serve him; and to tell him what plagues otherwise would follow; but still his heart was hardened: then there came a grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into all the land of Egypt; and the land was corrupted by reason of the flies.  
Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Go ye sacrifice to your God in the land: But Moses said, they desired to go three day's journey; for it was an abomination to the Egyptians to sacrifice in their land; and Pharaoh let them go; desiring Moses to entreat the Lord for him; the which he did, and the flies departed out of the land of Egypt.  
Yet again Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let them go: 
Exod. 9  then all the cattle of the land of Egypt died; but of the cattle of the children of Israel died not one: yet was Pharaohs heart hardened, and would not let them go.  
Then as the Lord commanded, Moses took ashes of the furnace and stood before Pharaoh and sprinkled it up towards heaven, and there became boiles and blames upon man and beast, and upon the Magicians.  
And still was the heart of Pharaoh hardened, and would not let the children of Israel go: and Moses stretched forth his Rod, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; so there was fire and hail mingled together, such as was not since the land of Egypt became a nation: and it smote both man and beast, and every herb, and broke down the trees: only in the land of Goshen where the children of Israel were, was none.  
Then Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned, the Lord is righteous; I and my people are wicked: Entreat the Lord for me, and I will let ye go.  
And Moses went out of the city, and spread his hands unto the Lord, and the thunder and hail ceased: yet nevertheless Pharaohs heart was again hardened; neither would he let the children of Israel go.  
And Moses and Aaron came again unto Pharaoh, 
Exod. 10.  and said thus unto him: Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go that they may serve me: and his servants persuaded him to let them go, but he refused to hear them.  
Then Moses stretched forth his Rod, over the land of Egypt, and there came an East wind which brought in Locusts which went over the land of Egypt, and the land was darkened: and they left no green thing upon the land. Then Pharaoh called again for Moses and Aaron in haste, and said, I have sinned against the Lord your God, and you: forgive my sin, and entreat the Lord for me.  
The which Moses did, and the Lord sent a mighty West wind which did drive the locusts into the Red Sea: but yet would not Pharaoh let the children of Israel go. Then the Lord commanded Moses to stretch forth his hand towards heaven; and there was a thick darkness throughout the land of Egypt three days; but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. Then Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said to him, Go ye, and serve the Lord, only let your flocks and herds stay here: but Moses refused that, and said, they must have sacrifices for the Lord and all their cattle: then Pharaoh would not let them go, but bid Moses to see his face no more.  
And the Lord commanded Moses to speak to all the children of Israel, 
Exod. 12.  upon the tenth day of the month, to take every house a lamb, a male lamb without blemish, and to keep it until the fourteenth day, and then kill it in the evening, and to take the blood with a bunch of hyssop and strike it on the two side posts, and upon the upper post of the door; and that they shall eat the flesh that night roasted with unleavened bread, and bitter herbs: That they shall eat it with their loins girded, shoes on their feet, and staves in their hands, and in haste, for it is the Lords Passeover.  
For the blood upon the posts shall be a token that the Lord would pass in mercy by them, when the Egyptians should be destroyed.  
And after the performance of many other ceremonies before the eating of the Passeover, it came to pass that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn of Egypt; and Pharaoh rose up in the night, and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry: then the children of Israel, according as they were commanded, departed, taking their dough before it was levened, and the kneading troughes upon their shoulders, with great store of Jewels they had from the Egyptians. And they journied towards Succoth, being in number about six hundred thousand on foot, besides children: after they had been in Egypt four hundred and thirty years.  
But they went not the nearest way by the land of the Philistines: but about through the wilderness of the Red Sea.  
And Moses took the bones of Joseph along with him: and they came from Succoth in Ethem in the edge of the wilderness, and there encamped: and the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud; and by night in a pillar of fire.  
And when King Pharaoh heard they were gone, 
Exod. 14.  he made ready six hundred chosen Chariots, & all the Chariots of Egypt and Captains over them, and a great army, and the children of Israel coming near the Red Sea, the Egyptians overtook them: and they were afraid, and cried unto the Lord, and did murmur against Moses exceedingly: thinking it better to have stayed in Egypt: but Moses comforted them: then the Lord commanded them to march, and Moses to lift up his Rod, and to stretch out his hand over the Sea, and the Angel, and the pillar of the Cloud which went before, removed and stood behind them: and the Lord caused the Sea to go back by a strong East wind, and it was dry land, and the waters were divided, and the children of Israel went into the midst of it upon the dry ground, and the waters were as a wall on every side; and the Egyptians followed them: but by God's will, when they were in the middle of the water their Chariot wheels fell off: in the morning when all Israel was over, Moses stretched forth his hand and the waters closed up, and Pharaoh and all his Army were drowned: and when Israel saw this great work they feared the Lord, and believed him, and his servant Moses: and Moses and the children of Israel sang praises unto the Lord.  
After which Moses brought the children of Israel three days into the wilderness and found no water; 
Exod. 15.  and when they came to Marah the water was bitter, and the people murmured against Moses: and he prayed unto the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree the which he cast into the water and they were made sweet. And then they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and seventy Palm trees, and there encamped: from thence they came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, being the fifteenth day of the second month, there the people of Israel did murmur at Moses and Aaron: repenting they came from the flesh pots of Egypt; then Moses and Aaron said unto them, At even ye shall know that the Lord hath brought you out from the land of Egypt; and what are we that ye murmur thus against us?  
And as Aaron was speaking to them, they looking towards the wilderness, the glory of the Lord did appear in the cloud: and it came to pass that in the evening the Quails came up and covered the Camp, and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.  
And after the dew was gone, there lay a small round thing like the frost of the ground, and they said one to another, It is Manna. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread the Lord hath given you to eat, gather thereof: and he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no want.  
Moses commanded them to leave none until the morning: but some of them did not hearken to him, but kept of it till morning and it bred worms and stanke: and this Manna was not to be found upon the seventh day.  
It tasted like wafers made with honey.  
And Moses spoke unto Aaron to keep in a pot an Omer full of it therein, and lay it before the Lord to be kept for their generations. So Aaron laid it up before the Testimony to be kept: the children of Israel did eat Manna forty years, until they came to the borders of Canaan.  
And the children of Israel journied from Sin, and came to Rephidim, and there was no water to drink: wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and murmured against him.  
And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do with this people? they be almost ready to stone me: and the Lord commanded him to call the Elders of Israel and go to the Rock in Horeb; and smite the Rock, and there shall come water out of it for the people to drink: and Moses did so in the sight of the Elders of Israel.  
Then Amalek came to fight with Israel, and Moses bade Joshua go and meet them with a chosen company; and Joshua did so, and fought with him: and Moses stood upon an hill with Aaron and Hur, and had his Rod in his hand, and in the fight whiles he held up his hand the men of Israel prevailed, but when he let it down Amalek prevailed. But Moses hands being heavy they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat thereon, and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands of each side; and they were steady until the going down of the Sun: and Joshua discomfited Amalek. There Moses built an Altar and called it Joshua Nissi.  
And Jethro father in law to Moses, 
Exod. 18.  his wife with his two sons, came unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God, where they received one another with great love: Moses telling him of all what God had done for Israel, by delivering them from the hands of Pharaoh: and Jethro sacrificed to the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of Israel: and Aaron came, and all the Elders of Israel to eat bread with Jethro: but Jethro seeing Moses sit in judgement amongst the people from morning to evening: he persuaded Moses to take some helpers, and not to wear himself out: which counsel he followed; only when matters of great difficulty came to be heard, Moses heard them: and Jethro departed from Moses and went into his own land.  
After this the children of Israel removed, 
Exod. 19  and came to the desert of Sinai, and encamped before the mount: and Moses went up unto God, who spoke unto him, and bade him tell the sons of Jacob what he had done for them; and if they served him, he would continue his mercies exceedingly unto them: and Moses told the people what the Lord said, and all the people answered together: We will obey the Lord. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord: then he commanded him to sanctify the people unto the Lord, and to be ready against the third day, for than he would come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai: but commanded bounds to be set about the mountain, that the people should not come upon the Mount, nor touch the borders of it lest they be destroyed; only Moses and Aaron were to go up: and Moses sanctified the people, and bid them be ready the third day; and that day in the morning was thundering and lightning, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud, so that all the people trembled.  
And Moses brought forth the people to meet with God, and they stood at the bottom of it: and the mountain was altogether on a smoke, for the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the whole mount quaked greatly: and the Lord called Moses unto him to the top of the mount: and the Lord said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break thorough to gaze, and perish: so Moses did as the Lord commanded: and then God commanded Moses and Aaron to come up: then was delivered unto them by word from God, the Ten Commandments.  
And the people being much afraid of the thunderings, lightnings, 
Exod. 20.  and sound of trumpet; and smoking of the mountain, they removed and stood afar off: and they said unto Moses, Speak thou unto us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us lest we die. And Moses said unto the people, Fear not, for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not: and the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was, and there the Lord taught unto Moses his laws and ordinances to deliver to the people.  
After this the Lord commanded Moses, 
Exod. 24.  with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy Elders of Israel to come up, who were commanded to worship a far off; and Moses above came near the Lord.  
And returning from the Lord, Moses wrote all the words of the Lord, and rose up early in the morning, and built an Altar under the hill, and twelve pillars according to the twelve Tribes of Israel.  
And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the Lord: and the Lord again said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount and I will give thee Tables of stone, and the Law and Commandments which I have written that thou mayest teach them: and Moses with Joshua his minister went up to the mount of God; and said unto the Elders, Tarry ye here for us, until we return: Aaron and Hur are with you: If any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them.  
Then Moses went up into the mount and a cloud covered it: and the glory of the Lord abode upon mount Sinai: and the cloud covered it six days, and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud, and the sight of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mount, in the eyes of all the children of Israel.  
And Moses was in the mount forty days, and forty nights.  
And after his return, he by God's appointment, set down Laws, and Ordinances, and Ceremonies, for the people of Israel to keep.  
Now whilst Moses was in the mount, 
Exod. 32.  the people gathered themselves together to Aaron, and said, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses that brought us out of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him: and Aaron to please them, bade them break off their earrings, which they did, and of them did make a Calf, and did worship it: and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.  
And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down, for the people thou broughtest out of Egypt have corrupted themselves, and are quickly turned aside, out of the way which I commanded: they are a stiffnecked people, and the Lords wrath was growing hot against them to consume them. But Moses besought the Lord his God to spare this people, whom he had brought out of the land of Egypt with such power and might: and to be merciful unto them for Abraham Isaac and jacob's sake: and the Lord heard the prayers of Moses for them.  
And Moses coming down from the mount with the two Tables of the Law, the work and writings of God: Joshuah hearing the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the Camp: but Moses said, No, it is the noise of them that sing: and as he came near the Camp he saw the Calf and the dancing, and Moses anger waxed hot; and he cast the Tables out of his hands and broke them beneath the mount: and he took the Calf which they had made, and burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strewed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.  
And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them? and Aaron answered, Let not the anger of my lord wax hit, thou knowest the people that they are set on mischief.  
Then Moses stood in the gate of the Camp, and said, Who is on the Lord's side? and go in and out from gate to gate through the Camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour: and the children of Levi who were consecrated, did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.  
And on the morrow Moses said unto the people, You have sinned a great sin, and now I will go up unto the Lord, peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin: and Moses went up and prayed for the people: and the Lord commanded Moses to lead the people forth, and sent his Angel with him.  
Then Moses took the Tabernacle and pitched it without the Camp a far off, 
33.  and every one that sought the Lord went out unto the Tabernacle: and when Moses went unto the Tabernacle, the people rose up, and stood at their tent doors looking after Moses until he went into the Tabernacle; and the cloudy pillar descended and stood at the door of the Tabernacle whiles the Lord talked with Moses; then every man rose up and worshipped in his tent door.  
The Lord commanded Moses to he we two Tables of stone like to the first, and to be ready in the morning to come unto mount Sinai, 
34.  but not any man to come up with him; neither any man to be seen throughout all the mount: neither that the flocks or herds should feed before the mount: the which was done, and Moses went up unto the Lord; and it came to pass when Moses came down from the mount with the two Tables of the Testimony, his face shone, and and Aaron and the children of Israel were afraid to come near him, but he put a veil over his head, and told them what the Lord had commanded.  
Then the children of Israel mightily 
35.  gave themselves to the adoring of the Tabernacle wherein was the Ark of the Covenant, which being finished Moses reared up, and put the Testimony into the Ark, and put the Mercy-seat above upon the Ark, and he set a Laver between the Tent of the Congregation and the Altar: and Moses and Aaron, and his sons washed their hands and their feet thereat, when they came near the Altar, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle, and the cloud of the 
40.  Lord was upon the Tabernacle by day, and fire by night in the sight of Israel throughout all their journeys.  
Then Moses consecrated Aaron and his sons, 
Levit. 8.  and girded them with girdles, clothed them with robes, and put the Ephod upon them; and the Breastplate of Urim and the Thummim; and put upon Aaron's head the Mitre and the holy Crown as the Lord commanded Moses: and then sacrificed unto the Lord.  
And the Lord commanded Aaron and his sons not to drink wine nor strong drink when they shall come into the Tabernacle. 
10.   
In the wilderness of mount Sinai, in the Tabernacle the Lord commanded Moses to take the number of the children of Israel: 
Numb. 1.  their males by name, every one by the poll from twenty years and upward, fit for war: and the whole number was six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty, besides the tribe of Levi, who were appointed over the Tabernacle of the Testimony, to bear the Tabernacle and the vessels thereof to minister unto it, and encamp about it.  
And Moses and Aaron did encamp before the Tabernacle towards the East: and Moses numbered all the first borne among the children of Israel; the males from a month old and upward, and they were twenty two thousand two hundred threescore and thirteen.  
And the Lord commanded Moses to make two silver Trumpets to call the people together, 
10.  and for their marches.  
And the cloud being by God taken up from off the Tabernacle of the Testimony, the children of Israel took their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai, and the cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran, the Tribe of Judah marching first with their Standard; and after them the Tribes in order.  
And they departed from the mount of the Lord three day's journey, 
11.  and the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord went before them to search out a resting place for them: and when the Ark went forward then Moses said, Rise up, O Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered, and let them that hate thee flee before thee: and when it ●ested he said, Return, O Lord, unto the many thousands of Israel.  
After this the children of Israel did murmur and long after the flesh pots of Egypt. 
11.   
And Moses heard the people weep every man in the door of his tent, and the anger of the Lord was greatly kindled; and Moses was much grieved, by reason of the great burden that was upon him, of so great a people.  
Then the Lord commanded seventy of the Elders of Israel to assist him, upon whom was the Spirit of the Lord, and the people still murmuring: and Moses with the Elders came into the Camp, and there went forth a wind from the Lord which brought Quails from the Sea, which fell by the Camp in very great plenty, and the people gathered abundantly of them: and whiles the flesh was between their teeth, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against them, and smote them with a great plague.  
And it came to pass that Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses, 
12.  because he married an Ethiopian woman, and the anger of the Lord was against them; and Miriam became leprous.  
Then Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee lay not the sin upon us wherein we have done foolishly. And Moses cried unto the Lord. Then Miriam was sent out of the Camp 7. days, the people journeying not, but after that time she returning, the Camp removed and pitched in the wilderness of Paran.  
Then the Lord commanded Moses to send forth of every tribe one to search the land of Canaan, and to know the strength and plenty thereof; 
13.  and they coming to the brook of Eshcoll cut off a cluster of grapes, and they brought it upon a staff by two men; with some pomegarnets and figs, and did give relation of the land: and some of them spoke very doubtful of the land, and put the people in fear.  
Insomuch as the Congregation wept and murmured against Moses and Aaron, 
14.  and wished they had died in the land of Egypt, or in the wilderness, and desired to return into Egypt: then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the Assembly of the Congregation of Israel; and Joshua and Caleb who had searched the land, rend their clothes, and commended the land exceedingly to the people, and advised them not to rebel against the Lord. But they bade stone them with stones, and the wrath of the Lord was kindled against them: But Moses prayed earnestly to the Lord for this people, and he heard him, and pardoned them.  
But the Lord said, Because all those men which have seen my glory, 
15.  and my miracles which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not harkened to my voice, they shall not see the land: but my servants Caleb and Joshua, because they have followed me, them will I bring into the land whereinto they went, and their seed shall possess it: and the children of Israel, and the people murmured exceedingly, and contrary to the command of Moses, got up into the top of the mountain, repenting and being ready to go to the place the Lord had promised: but the Ark of the Covenant stayed behind in the Camp; then the Amalekites, and the Canaanites came down and discomfited them.  
It came to pass afterwards Korah, 
16.  Dathan and Abiram, with certain of the children of Israel, with two hundred and fifty of the Princes of the assembly, men of fame and renown gathered themselves against Moses and Aaron, saying unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation is holy: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord: then Moses said unto them, even to morrow the Lord will show who are his, and who are holy: and Moses said unto Korah, Hear I pray you, ye sons of Levi.  
Seemeth it but a small thing unto you that the God of Israel hath brought you so near himself to do the service of the Tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them; and seek ye the Priesthood also? And Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram, but they would not come up; but murmured against Moses, for bringing them out of the land of Egypt.  
And Moses was much troubled, and said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before the Lord with Aaron to morrow, and bring each of you your Censer, putting Incense therein: and they did so, putting fire in them, and stood in the door of the Tabernacle of the congregation with Moses and Aaron; and the glory of the Lord appeared unto them: and the Lord spoke unto Moses and Aaron, saying, Separate yourselves from among this congregation that I may consume them in a moment. And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation? And God commanded Moses to bring the people from the Tabernacle of Korah, Dathan and Abiram, and he did so. And all the Elders of Israel followed him: and he spoke unto them, saying, Depart I pray you from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs lest ye be consumed.  
And so they departed and stood in the doors of their Tents, their wives and their children: and Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all those works, for I have not done them of my own mind; if these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men, than the Lord hath not sent me: but if the Lord make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth and swallow them up, with all that appertain to them, and they go down quick into the pit, then shall ye understand that these men have provoked the ●ord.  
And it came to pass as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clavae asunder that was under them, and swallowed them up, their houses and their goods: and the earth closed upon them, and they perished from among the congregation; and there came a fire out from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense; and as God commanded, Eleazar the son of Aaron took the censers out of the fire, and made of them broad plates to cover the Altar, because they were formerly hallowed; and to be a memorial to all the children of Israel, that no stranger which is not of the seed of Aaron come near to offer incense before the Lord, that he be not as Korah and as his company.  
But on the morrow after this great judgement fell upon Korah, the congregation murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying, They had killed the people of the Lord. And they being gathered together, Moses and Aaron looked towards the Tabernacle, and the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared. And Moses and Aaron came before the Tabernacle of the congregation: and the Lord spoke unto Moses saying, Get you up from among this congregation that I may consume them in a moment; and they fell upon their faces, and Moses bade Aaron to take a Censer, and put fire therein from of the Altar, and put on incense and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them, for that wrath was gone out from the Lord, and the plague was begun: and Aaron did as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation, but the plague was begun among the people; and then he put on incense and made an atonement for the people, and stood between the dead and the living, and the plague ceased. Now they that died of the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, besides them that died about the matter of Korah: and Aaron returned unto Moses to the door of the Tabernacle, and the plague stayed.  
And the Lord commanded Moses to speak unto the children of 
Num. 17.  Israel, to bring twelve rods, for every Tribe one, and thereon to write their names, and to write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi; and to lay them up in the Tabernacle before the Testimony: and the Lord said, That the man's rod whom he shall choose, shall be the chief, and shall blossom, thereby to make the children of Israel cease from murmuring against Moses and Aaron; and Moses did as the Lord commanded, and every one of the Princes gave him a rod according to their father's houses, Aaron's rod being amongst them: and Moses laid the rods before the Lord in the Tabernacle of witness: and going on the morrow into the Tabernacle, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, brought forth buds bloomed, and yielded Almonds: and Moses brought them forth, and they took every man his rod: but the Lord bade Moses to bring back Aaron's rod before the Testimony to be kept for a token against the Rebels, and take away their murmurings lest they die; and Moses did so as God commanded: and the children of Israel spoke unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish: Shall we be consumed with dying?  
And the Lord commanded the Tribe of Levi to be joined unto Aaron to minister unto him, 
18.  and only that Aaron and his sons should minister before the Tabernacle of the witness, and that the Levites should keep the charge of the Tabernacle, but they should not come nigh the vessels of the Sanctuary and the Altar lest Aaron and they should die: and that no stranger should come near them: and gave them many other Ordinances to observe.  
Then came the children of Israel unto Zin, 
20.  and abode in Kadesh where Miriam died and was there buried: and in that place was no water, in so much as they gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron, and the people did chide with Moses, and wished they had died with their brethren.  
Then Moses and Aaron went from them unto the door of the Tabernacle, and fell upon their faces: and the Lord bade Moses and Aaron take the Rod and assemble the people together, and speak unto the Rock before them, and it should give forth water; and they gathered the congregation together before the Rock, and Moses said unto them, Hear now ye Rebels, must we fetch you water out of this Rock?  
Then Moses lift up his hand, and with his Rod he smote the Rock twice, and the water came out abundantly: and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. And the Lord spoke unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believe me not to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel; therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.  
After this Moses sent messengers to Kadesh to the King of Edom, letting him know of all their passages in Egypt, and of the wonders that God had done; desiring to pass through his Country only to go by the King's high way, and pay for what they took: but the King of Edom refused it: wherefore Israel turned another way, and came to mount Hor, where the Lord spoke unto Moses and Aaron saying, Aaron shall be gathered to h● people, for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah: take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up unto mount Hor; and Moses brought them up, and as the Lord commanded, Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them upon Eleazar his son, and Aaron died there, in the top of the mount, and Moses and Eleazar came down from thence, and when the congregation of Israel saw that Aaron was dead, even all the house of Israel mourned for him thirty days.  
And they journied from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, 
21.  and compassed the land of Edom, but they were much discouraged because of the way, and the people spoke against God and Moses, than the Lord sent fiery serpents amongst the people, who bit them, whereof many died, and then they confessed their sins unto Moses, and desired him to pray to the Lord for them; the which he did.  
And the Lord commanded Moses to make a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it shall live: and Moses did accordingly make a brazen serpent; and they that were bitten when they beheld it, lived.  
And the children of Israel then journeyed faster and came to Beor unto a place, 
21.  where the Princes and Nobles digged it by the directions of the Lawgiver, and went further, where they sent to Sihon the King of the Amorites to let them pass through his land, paying for what they had, and only to go the King's high way while they were past his borders, but he would not suffer them to pass; but gathered his people together, and fought with Israel; where the Amorites were overthrown, Israel taking all their cities and dwelled in them, and the Country thereabouts; and Moses sent to spy out Jaazer, and drove the Amorites from thence and possessed it.  
And after they marched, and Og King of Bashan raised his people, and then Israel did overthrow them, and possessed their land.  
After this the children of Israel 
●●  set forward and pitched in the plains of Moab: and Moab was afraid: Balak the son of Zippor was King of the Moabites at that time, who sent messengers unto Balaam to come to him, letting him know, how the children of Israel who came out of Egypt came near him; praying him to curse them.  
And he bade the messengers sent lodge there that night, but God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them: neither curse them for they are blessed: and Balaam told the messengers, Get ye home, for the Lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you: and the Princes returned to Balak, saying, Balaam refuseth to come with us: then Balak sent Princes more honourable than they with proffers unto Balaam of great preferments and honour unto him: but he answered, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, he could not go beyond the command of God, to do less or more: but desired them to stay that night, that he might know the will of the Lord: and that night the Lord said unto Balaam, If they call, go along with them, but do that which I shall say unto thee.  
Then Balaam rose up in the morning and saddled his Ass, and went with the Princes of Moab: and the Angel of the Lord stood in the way, and as he was riding with his two servants, the Ass seeing the Angel of the Lord, with his sword in his hand, he turned out of the way, and Balaam smote her, it being between two walls: the Ass thrust herself upon the wall, crushed Balaams' foot against the wall, and then he smote her again; then the Ass fell down under Balaam; and then he smote the Ass again, and the Lord opened the mouth of the Ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee that thou hast smitten me these three times? and Balaam said unto the Ass, Behold, thou hast mocked me, if I had a sword I would kill thee: and the Ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine Ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? and he said, Nay: then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam and he saw the Angel of the Lord, and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face, and said, he had sinned. Now therefore, if it please thee, I will return back: but the Angel said, Go on with the men, but only speak that word I shall speak unto thee: and so he went with the Princes, and Balak hearing of his coming he went to meet him, and said unto him, Wherefore didst thou not come sooner? am not I able to promote thee to honour? but Balaam said, The word that God putteth into my mouth will I speak.  
And they offered burnt-offerings, and he said unto Balak, How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed, or how shall I defy whom the Lord hath not defied? at which Balak was offended, but he answered; must I not take heed to speak that which the Lord hath put into my mouth? and after other burnt-offerings at Zophim, his answer was to Balak, Behold, I have received commandment to bless, and he hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it; he hath not beh●ld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel; the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a King is among them: then Balak said, Neither do thou bless them nor curse them: but he answered, All that the Lord speaketh, that I must do: but Balaam seeing it was Gods will to bless Israel, he left after looking to enchantments, but set his face towards the wilderness, and he saw Israel abiding in their tents according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he said, How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel, etc. then Balaks anger was kindled against him; but Balaam prophesied, saying, I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Seth: out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, etc.  
And Balaam rose up and went and returned to his place, and Balak also went his way.  
And Israel abiding in Shittim the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab and bowed towards their gods; 
25.  and the anger of the Lord was kindled against them.  
One of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses and all the congregation of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle; and when Phineas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the Priest saw it, he rose from amongst the congregation, and took a Javelin in his hand and went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both the man and the woman, Zimri and Cozbi, through; so the plague was stayed in Israel: and those that died of the plague were twenty and four thousand.  
And Moses desired of the Lord to set a man over the congregation, 
27.  to go in and out before them, that they may not be as sheep that have no shepherd; and the Lord said unto Moses, Take thee Joshuah the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay thine hand upon him, and set him before Eleazar the Priest and before all the congregation, and give him a charge in their sight; and thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all Israel may be obedient; and he shall stand before Eleazar the Priest who shall ask counsel for him, after the judgement of Urim before the Lord: and Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and he took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the Priest and the congregation; and he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses.  
After this the children of Israel warred against the Midianites, and they slew the King of Midian, and burned their cities, and their goodly castles, and there Balaam was slain, they divided the spoil of the Country.  
And Moses growing old, 
Deut. 31.  he called Joshuah unto him before the people, giving him good counsel, and bidding him to be valiant: and encouraged the people, and setteth forth a song of God's mercies and vengeance.  
After which the Lord spoke unto Moses, 
32.  saying, Get thee up into this mountain Abarim unto mount Nebo which is in the land of Moab that is over against Jericho, and behold, the land of Canaan which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession, and die in the mount whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor, and was gathered unto his people: because ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin, because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel; yet thou shalt see the land, but thou shalt not go thither: and after Moses had blessed the twelve Tribes of Israel, 
34.  he went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, and the Lord showed him the land of promise which was promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob: so Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord, and he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab over against Beth Peor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day: he was 120. years old when he died, his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated: and the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; and there arose not a Prophet since in Israel like unto Moses whom the Lord knew face to face: In all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his servants, and to all his land; and in all that mighty hand, and in all that great terror which Moses showed in the sight of Israel.   

MEDITATIONS Upon some parts of the History of Moses.  
O Lord direct my meditations, and assist me humbly and truly to contemplate this thy great work of the deliverance of thy children of Israel out of Egypt by Moses, after they had sojourned there four hundred and thirty years; after which time, according to thy promise, thou didst deliver them, and brought them to the land of promise.  
This great deliverance, O Lord, is the true type of a great mercy that did follow, which was by our Moses Jesus Christ, who redeemed, and brought us that were Gentiles, and under the bondage and slavery of sin, to serve and follow him out of the darkness wherein we were enthralled; being far worse than the Egyptian yoke.  
O Lord my God, let it enter into my heart, most humbly and seriously to consider of this inestimable mercy of my redemption, and of thy wonderful and unvaluable goodness towards me a sinner: by sending into this Egypt of the world, such a guide, such a deliverer, and such a Redeemer as all the Angels and powers in heaven do adore, even thy only Son.  
Let me be astonished, O Lord, with wonder at this thy so great mercy, and be confounded in myself for offending thee, so glorious and so gracious a God.  
And let my sinful soul be converted unto thee, to serve thee with all humbleness of heart. O Lord, how suitable in mischief were Pharaoh and Herod, by giving way to Ambition and Jealousy, and the reigns to commit cruelty to an unlimited height, for the murdering of innocent Infants. Pharaohs ambition was to destroy the Hebrew children, amongst whom was Moses, which thou, O God, preservedst to deliver the people of Israel out of Egypt: and Herod's design to destroy the children in Jury, amongst whom was that immaculate Lamb Christ Jesus: even to destroy him who delivered the Gentiles, and was after crucified to deliver and redeem both Jew and Gentile.  
O Lord, how wonderful are thy works and all thy goodness: for flesh and blood could not prevail against thy providence: for the cruelty of Pharaoh could not prevent thy goodness, for thou didst multiply and bless thy children of Israel: and preservedst Moses in a poor basket of bulrushes to do thy great work to deliver thy people out of the thraldom of Egypt.  
And O wonder of wonders, and mercy of mercies, out of the manger at Bethlehem came our blessed Saviour who redeemed the world: and how wonderfully, O Lord, hast thou preserved thy Church for whom he died, and multiplied thy servants through the persecutions of this world.  
As it was thy great mercy and blessing, O Lord, to preserve Noah and his family in that great Ark whereby mankind was preserved upon earth: So it was thy mercy to preserve thy servant Moses in that little ark amongst the watery flags of danger, to preserve and bring thy children of Israel descended from Noah, out of Egypt to the land of promise, from which stock so preserved, came my Saviour Jesus Christ: as these have been thy mercies, O God, to preserve thy people of Israel by thy Prophet Moses the type of Christ: and to redeem the world by thy Son my Saviour Jesus; So O Lord, many have been thy mercies unto me a sinner, by thy manifold mercies and deliverances even since my infancy hitherto, both by sea and land. Good Lord, in thy mercy take from over me this thick and misty cloud of stupidity, that so much darkens my understanding, that I may discern these thy mercies, and fear, love, and serve thee with all the faculties of soul and body: and good Lord grant that I may love my kindred and neighbours, as Moses did love his Nation the Hebrews, with kindness and affability to all men, as he used to the daughters of Jethro.  
Let the soul of thy servant know, that in the places of peace, quietness, and retiredness from the eye of this world so full of vanity and pleasures, there art thou to be found, for in the desert behind the mountain and near Horeb thou wast with Moses.  
O Lord, bring my soul from these worldly cares, afflictions, and temptations amongst which I live; and lead me with thy saving grace toward thy holy mountain: with contemplations of holiness and penitency for my sins, and there let me rest in thee and be freed from the thorny and scorching passages of this world.  
As thou, O God, didst wonderfully appear unto Moses in the Bush by a flame of fire which did not burn nor consume it: so I do most humbly beseech thee, enter into the heart of thy servant, and inflame it with holy love and zeal towards thee: and enlighten it, O Lord, that it may discern thy wonderful goodness: and that I may have always such a burning desire to serve thee, as no overflowings of the waters of this world may quench it: let me with Moses, put off my shoes of worldly thoughts, cares, and sinful imaginations, when I shall presume to come before thee, for the place where thou art is holy: and places consecrated unto thee and thy service, in the assembly of Saints, are not to be profaned by any kind of unholy actions; for we must worship towards thy holy temple, and enter into it with reverence; for so, O Lord, thou didst command all thy people in all nations of the world.  
Give me grace to obey thy good inspirations as Moses did obey thee, by going unto Pharaoh: Lord, let thy wonderful works, that thou hast done and that I daily see, strengthen my faith and confidence in thee; and not to distrust thy power and goodness, but that I may resolutely go on to serve thee with a blessed perseverance, until my soul shall be delivered out of this Egyptian bondage, be freed from the taskmasters of afflictions, and the fleshpots of the pleasures of this world.  
Moses was slow in speech, and doubtful of himself, yet God did work mightily by him. By his example let us master our fleshly opinions, and know that God hath his own work; and not to judge of the defects of other men.  
And good Lord, teach me to look into myself, for if I have received that which others want, it is thy mere mercy and goodness: and as I ought always to be thankful for thy gifts, yet let me not be proud of them; for as thy goodness gives them, so thou canst take them away as thou pleasest; for the foot of pride brings down thy wrath upon us the chief of men; and though Moses had that defect, yet by thy power he did greater matters then either Absalon or Achitophel could bring to pass; for thou makest our speaking, and hearing, and all our senses to serve thy commands; and my Redeemer made the dumb to speak, and the lame to walk: as by thy great mercy thou hast delivered me from the Egyptian plagues which the hardness of my heart hath deserved; so prepare me I do most humbly beseech thee, and make me ready to go out of this Egypt of the world, and to be obedient unto my Leaders, and Governors, Moses and Aaron, in the midst of all perverseness and perverse men whomsoever.  
In the darkness of this world enlighten me, and as thou didst send a distinct light to the children of Israel in Goshen; so enlighten, O Lord, my inward soul with the light of thy blessed spirit, to discern thy wonderful mercies towards me; and grant that I may praise thee for thy goodness, and obey thee as a man separate from all the world: prepare me, O God, to be ready for my passage to the Celestial Country of eternity as the Israelites were; with my loins girt in charity, my shoes on in mortification, and my staff in confidence: sprinkle the posts and lintles of my heart with the hyssop of thy grace, and the precious blood of thy salvation; that I may be known to be thine, and be received into thy mercy when thou shalt come to visit me, and to bring me through the Red Sea of that dangerous passage to the heavenly Canaan of eternity.  
Keep me at that time, O Lord, from distrust and diffidence; strengthen me in the narrow passage, between the two walls of that dangerous water of presumption and despair, that I be not drowned with the Egyptians of this world, whose trust is in their chariots and not in thee; and whose hardness of heart and contempt of thee, brought them to destruction.  
O Lord, be merciful to my thirsty soul, and preserve me from murmuring against thee, thou which diedst upon the tree of the Cross, take all bitterness from my soul, and quench my thirst with the holy water of thy grace, and grant that I may cheerfully go on towards the land of promise.  
Without thy continual help how frail and perverse are we? as the rebellious Israelites ever murmuring and repining against Moses and Aaron; send therefore that heavenly Manna unto me that may strengthen my soul and preserve it unto thee in faith, and obedience.  
Thou knowest my frailty, O God, and how feeble I am, as likewise my unruly and unbridled conditions, my stubbornness and hardness of heart: therefore I do most humbly beseech thee for thy mercy sake in Jesus Christ, with thy miraculous and merciful Rod of grace to strike upon my stony heart, that from that rock may ascend unto mine eyes a fountain of tears, with such a true and perfect contrition as may come before thee, and by thy mercy my sins may be washed away, and that I may thirst no more after vanity.  
O Lord, how weak is the arm of the strongest man without thy help: for Moses could not hold up his hand with the Rod without assistance from thee where Amalek fought with Israel, but Aaron and Hur assisted him.  
I do most humbly beseech thee, in the fight that I have against the Amalek of sin and impiety: give me thy Rod of grace and strengthen me, and make me able to hold up my hands & heart unto thee, and in my weakness and distress send me, O Lord, spiritual comforters, which may assist and strengthen my faith, that I may hold out until the sun of my age be set, and obtain victory over all my spiritual enemies.  
With what wonderful fear didst thou, O Lord, deliver thy holy Commandments unto Moses, and with what reverence and fear did the children of Israel stand without the bounds of Mount Sinai; and only Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy Elders of Israel went into the mountain who worshipped a far off, only Moses came near the Lord.  
Good Lord, make me to fear and tremble to break these thy holy commandments which thou didst deliver with such circumstances of glory and terror: and with thy children of Israel let me keep without the bounds of mount Sinai as thou appointedst them, and out of all humane curiosity humbly wait to receive thy laws from the hands of Moses, and the Prophets and Ministers of thy Church.  
Keep rash presumption from the soul of thy servant: for though Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and the seventy Elders were good and holy men, yet they kept their distance in their worship towards thee O God, and at the writing of the Law.  
So good Lord, give me lowliness, to stand before thee without the bounds of Sinai, with such as are humble of heart, and there worship and wait thy leisure for what thou shalt command me by Moses, my spiritual guide, by whom I must be directed; for I must not be my own director.  
Without this continual help of thine, O Lord, and by thy Ministers and Shepherds thou appointest over us, how dangerously doth that Wolf the devil assault and prevail against this brittle and corrupt flesh of ours: for Moses being absent but for a few days the people went a whoring after their own inventions.  
Into what extreme folly did they run headlong even to worship a calf, and to give that which was most precious unto them to make an idol, and their jewels to make a calf: O Lord Jesus look upon me, and help me, in this time of danger to my soul: how at this time do the most of this world wherein I live go a whoring after their own ways, as though neither Moses nor any Prophet were amongst them: how have they consumed the land, & given their jewels to raise up the idol of arrogancy and pride: and what do we else but sit down to eat and drink, and rise up to play: and no man mourns for the misery of the land. O Lord Jesus, strengthen my faith and belief in this dangerous Sea wherein are so many rocks and quicksands, of Error and Innovations. Be thou my Pilot, and grant that I may steer a right course towards thee in this sea, so covered with the mists and fogs of Heresy and Schism; that by a true faith I may arrive unto the harbour of my hoped for happiness, and with speed send some in the spirit of Moses to us again; and deliver us from the like punishment that fell upon the Israelites for that their sin; and that peace may be in our Land, that thy Tabernacle, O Lord, may be raised up, and that we may worship towards it, every man with humility at the door of his tent with the children of Israel so humbled and prostrate; and that we may do as they did, give ourselves to adorn the Ark of the Church wherein is the Ark of the Covenant, and rear it up with Moses in the solemnity of spiritual and divine worship, for there is the glory of the Lord and of all God▪ people.  
O Lord, let me know that Aaron's worship before thee in his robes of holiness the ornaments of honour, the mitre and crown, upon his knees humbly before thy Altar in the Sanctuary being according unto thine own holy order, was more pleasing unto thee then the confusion of such who step up without order or ornament, spiritual or corporal into the Church, not so much as looking with reverence towards thy place of worship.  
For doubtless, O Lord, thy Son and our Saviour the great example of humility, did come into this world to teach us humility, and that by his grace working in us humility, lowliness and devotion should increase and continue in this world.  
Therefore let me not, O Lord, with the proud spiritual Pharisees of these times, being blasted with boldness presume to step into thy house the place of worship but with reverence, and in imitation of thy children of Israel who worshipped and wept at the door of the Sanctuary.  
O Lord, the children of Israel though they provoked thee unto anger by their murmuring distrusts and iniquities in their journeys, even ten times: when I look into myself, O Lord, I find and must needs confess to my own shame and confusion, that in this my pilgrimage I have exceeded them in impiety, both in number and degree: for indeed my sins are numberless, having murmured exceedingly in my journeys at the crosses of this world, as never considering from what hand they came, nor how justly I have deserved them: I have for most part of my time eaten, drunk, and rose up to play, and thirsted after the fleshpots and pleasures of this world: I have neglected thy service and have not humbled myself before the door of thy Sanctuary to bewail my sins as I ought to have done: the due obedience that I owe to my Superiors and Pastors of thy Church have I neglected, following mine own inventions and opinions, and have wandered like a sheep out of the fold, whereby I have fallen into by paths and crooked ways; leaving that good way thou hast appointed: and thereby have drawn thy just displeasure upon me. O Lord, my God, standing in this sad and dangerous condition, give me grace truly to humble myself before thee: and as thou didst hear the prayers of Moses thy servant who mediated for thy children of Israel, and was merciful unto them: So I do most humbly beseech thee by the merits of thy Son and my Saviour Jesus Christ my Mediator, for his sake be thou merciful to me, and deliver me from final destruction denounced against me.  
How endless, O Lord, are our impieties, when we grow proud and stiffnecked, and how rebellious then do we grow against thee and thy Ministers whom under thee we should obey.  
O Lord, deliver me thy servant from a rebellious spirit, and teach me, not to spurn against them that thou hast appointed over me with Korah, Dathan and Abiram, so spiteful against Moses and Aaron thy Ministers, nor to cover my rebellious impiety with the specious cloak of holiness as they did, when nothing was in their heart but ambition and desire to rule, and to bring that out of order which thou, O Lord, hadst established in Moses and Aaron.  
How wonderful are thy judgements, O Lord, and how unsearchable are thy ways! Let the example of these men, and the just and terrible punishment that fell upon them, make me fear to break thy Ordinances, or disobey my Governors that thou hast appointed: for what are we, O Lord, in a headless government, and what mischief shall not betid us?  
O Lord, preserve me from the fiery stings and punishments of that old serpent, which mine iniquities deserve, and in these afflictions that I may suffer for my sins, give me grace to look up towards him that died for me upon the Cross, that by his merits I may be healed, and praise thee for thy mercies, and live to go in my pilgrimage by a true obedience unto thee: and that I may no more murmur against thee, nor be weary of the Manna of thy blessings: and O Lord, as Moses saw the Land of promise before his death, upon the top of the mountain: so good Lord, raise up my thoughts, before I die, from these earthly things to contemplate the eternity hereafter; and give me a taste and faithful apprehension of that heavenly Country which I do expect; that with joy of heart, and comfort to my soul, I may leave this earthly tabernacle, and ascend unto that place of happiness where Moses and other thy Prophets, Apostles, Saints, and Martyrs sing praise unto thee that sits upon the throne for ever.   

THE HISTORY of Joshua.  
AFter the death of Moses God made choice of 
Josh. 1.  Joshua the son of Nun to be his Champion, and to go before the children of Israel: and Joshua commanded the Officers to go unto the Host amongst the people, and command them to prepare victuals and provision, within three days to pass over the river Jordane towards the land of Canaan: and Joshua spoke to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, saying, You and yours are to possess the land beyond Jordane, but ye shall pass over before your brethren armed to help them until the Lord hath given your brethren rest as formerly he hath given you: and they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and obey thee as we have done Moses: and whosoever shall not observe thy commands let him die: only be thou valiant.  
And Joshua sent out two men as Spies to view the land, and they came unto Jericho, and lodged in the house of Rahab the harlot: which was told to the King of Jericho: and he sent unto Rahab to bring forth the men: but she hid them: and answered, they had been there, but she knew not who they were.  
And in the evening the King sent out Scouts to pursue them: 〈◊〉 Rahab had hid them in the top of her house, and covered them with the stalks of flax: after the Scouts were gone out, she came unto the men, and said unto them: I know the Lord hath given you the land, for terors are fallen upon us: and the whole land are afraid of you, for we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the red sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two Kings of the Amorites Sihon and Og whom you utterly destroyed, and therefore your Lord is the true God of heaven, therefore in regard of my kindness unto you, show kindness unto my father's house: and give me a token to save alive my father and my mother and my brethren and sisters and all they have: and they answered her, give ns safety, and when the Lord gives us this Land we will deal kindly and lovingly with thee: and her house standing upon the town wall, she let them down by a cord: and bade them be gone to the mountain and hide themselves three days until the scouts return and then go their way; & they said unto her, that we may remember thy love and our promise, when we come unto this place: tie this scarlet cord thou lettest us down withal unto thy window, and thou, thy father, thy mother brother's sisters and all they have shall be safe. But if any go out of thy house at that time, let his blood be upon his own head: for all shall be safe within: but if thou utter this to any we will be quit of our promise and oath: and they departed: and they did observe her counsel hiding themselves three days, and after came to Joshua and told him the state of things and of the fear of the Inhabitants about Jericho.  
And Joshua hastened and came to Jordan with the children of Israel, and after three days the officers of the host commanded the people that when they see the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord remove, the Priests and Levites bearing it, they should remove and go after it, and to keep a distance from it, to know the way they must go, and Joshua said unto the people sanctify yourselves, for to morrow the ●ord will do wonders amongst you, and Joshua spoke unto the Priests to take up the Ark and go before the people, the which they did, and the Lord said unto Joshua this day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of Israel, that they may know that as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee. Command the Priests that bear the Ark when they come to the brink of jordan to stand still; and he said to the children of Israel hereby ye shall know that the living God is amongst you to drive out the heathen before you; behold the Ark of the Covenant even the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into jordan. Then the people removed from their tents to pass over jordan, the Priests bearing the Ark of the covenant before them: and when they dipped their feet in the river, the water rose on a heap and the people passed over dry over against ●ericho, and when all the people were over, the Lord commanded Josua to take twelve men according to the tribes and command them to take out of the midst of jordan where the Priests feet stood twelve stones and carry them over and leave them where you shall lodge this night; the which Joshua did accordingly, and they brought them upon their shoulders, and left them to be a sign to after ages that the water of jordan was cut off before the Ark of the covenant of the Lord when it passed over, and the Ark stayed in Jordan until the people were passed over and that Joshua had commanded twelve stones in the river of Jordan where the Priests had set their feet to be placed: but the children of Reuben and Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh passed over armed before the children of Israel unto the plains of Jericho being about 40000. and the Priests that bore the Ark of the Covenant were come out of Jordan, the water returned to his place: and those stones which they took out of Jordan did Joshua pitch in Gilgal for a token unto their children's children that they came on dry land over Jordan as he did the red sea: that all the earth might know the power of God and fear him for ever.  
And all the Kings of the Canaanites and the Amorites that dwelled thereabout, when they heard of this wonderful work were astonished, and their hearts failed them: and the Lord commanded Joshua to make sharp knives to circumcise the Israelites the second time, the which he did perform at the hill of foreskins, now all the people that came first out of Egypt were circumcised: but they that were borne by the way as they came out of Egypt them they had not circumcised until now: and they continued in the camp until they were whole: and the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the Passeover in the evening in the plains of Jericho: and they did eat of the old corn of the land the morrow after the Passeover unleavened cakes and parched corn, and the Manna ceased; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan.  
And Joshua coming towards Jericho, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went unto him and said, Art thou for us, or for our enemies, and he said, Nay, but as a Captain of the host of the Lord am I now come: and Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, saying unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant: and the Captain of the Lords host said unto Joshua, Lose thy shoe from off thy foot, for the place whereon thou standest is holy: and Joshua did so.  
Now Joshua straightly besieged Jericho, 
6.  so that none could go out or come in: and the Lord commanded Joshua with his army and 7. Priests to bear before the Ark 7. trumpets of Rams horns, and the seventh day to compass the city 7. times, and the Priests to blow the trumpets, and the people to shout with a great shout: and Joshua commanded them so to do, and they did accordingly: and the seventh day they rose up early and compassed the City seven times, and at the seventh time when the Priests blew the trumpet Joshua commanded the people to shout for the Lord hath given you the City: and it shall be accursed, even it and all that is therein: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her, because she hid our messengers: but let all the gold and silver, and vessels of brass and iron be consecrated to the Lord, they shall come into the treasury of the Lord. So when the Priests sounded the trumpets the people shouted, and the walls of Jericho fell flat down and they took the City: and they utterly destroyed the City, and put them to the sword man and woman, young and old, ox, sheep, and ass; but Joshua sent the two spies unto Rahabs' house, those men whom she had entertained: and they brought her safe forth of her house with her father and mother, her brethren and all she had, and her kindred, and left them in safety without the Camp of Israel, and they burnt the City: and Rahab lived long after amongst the Israelites: and Joshua cursed the man that should build Jericho again: and Joshua was famous throughout the land.  
But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing, 
7.  even Achan one of the tribe of Judah, for which the anger of the Lord was kindled.  
And Joshua sent spies from Jericho to Ai, to view the Country, and they viewed Ai: and they returned to Joshua, and told him, that in Ai were but few people. Joshua upon their report sent thither about three thousand men and they fled before the men of Ai, being mightily discomfited: the which did much dishearten the people of Israel: and Joshua rend his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the Ark of the Lord until the evening, he and all the Elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads: and they did grieve exceedingly. And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up, wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face, Israel hath sinned and transgressed my Covenant, for they have taken of the accursed thing, they have stolen and dissembled; therefore could not the children of Israel stand before their enemies, neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from you.  
And the Lord commanded them to sanctify the people against the next day, that the accursed thing may be taken from amongst them: and in the morning Joshua rose up early and brought Israel by their tribes: and the tribe of Judah was taken by lot, and every household of that tribe was examined, and Achan was found to have stolen the accursed thing: and Joshua coming to Achan, said unto him, Achan my son, give I pray thee, glory unto the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done, hide it not from me: And Achan confessed the fact, saying, I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel: for when I saw amongst the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, I took and hid them in my tent: and Joshua presently sent for them, and being brought unto him, and before the children of Israel, he laid them before the Lord, and Joshua and all Israel with him brought Achan, the silver and the gold, and the Babylonish garment, his sons and daughters, his oxen and his asses, his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had unto the valley of Anchor, and all Israel stoned him with stones and after burned them; and raised over him a heap of stones, so the Lord turned from his fierce anger.  
And the Lord commanded Joshua to go a second time to Ai, 
Josh. 8.  with a great army: and he chose thirty thousand of the most valiant men, giving them directions what to do and sent them away by night, commanding them to lie in ambush near the City of Ai: and they lay before Bethel and Ai: and Joshua rose early in the morning, and with all the Elders of Israel, and a great strength he marched towards Ai and drew near the City: and when the King of Ai saw it, hastily came forth with his whole strength to give battle to Israel: but he knew not of the ambush: and Joshua and all Israel seemed to fly before them: and the whole strength of Ai and Bethel pursued them towards the wilderness: then they which were in ambush speedily made towards the City, and took it: and instantly set it on fire.  
The men of Ai looking back and seeing their City on fire they were astonished and disheartened: and being scattered and in disorder, Joshua and his army fell upon them one way, and they that took Ai issued out another way, and so cut them off every man: and they took the King of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua: and the Israelites returning to Ai put all within it to the sword; so there fell that day of men and women twelve thousand. And Joshua burned Ai down to the ground; and the King of Ai he hanged upon a tree: and after the Sun was down commanded to take him down, and his carcase to be cast at the entry of the gate of the City, and raised thereon a great heap of stones.  
And Joshua built an Altar unto the Lord God of Israel in mount Eball, as Moses had commanded, and there they offered sacrifice, and writ the Law of Moses upon the stones: and there the Ark of the covenant being brought, all Israel and the Elders, Officers, and Judges stood before it, and before the Priests and Levites that bore it: and the whole Law was read unto them.  
And when all the Kings on this side Jordane heard of these things, 
Josh. 9  they joined together to fight with Joshua: but the Gibeonites had heard what they had done to Jericho and Ai; they cunningly came unto Joshua in poor habit and great humiliation unto the camp at Gilgal: and there made their peace with Joshua and the Princes of the Congregation who swore unto them. But after the Princes finding they had deceived them, for their oath sake they would not destroy them: and Joshua called them before him, and said, Wherefore have you beguiled us, saying, you dwelled a far off when ye dwell among us? for this deceit ye shall be bondmen and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God: and they said, It was told us that Moses commanded we should be wholly destroyed, therefore we were afraid and did this thing, and do with us as thou pleasest: and Joshua saved their lives, and made them hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the Lord; and so they did continue to do.  
Now the King of Jerusalem and the other King's understanding that the Gibeonites had made peace with Israel; 
Josh. 10.  and Gibeon being a great City they feared greatly; therefore five Kings and all the strength they could make came and encamped before Gibeon, they of the City having made their peace with Joshua, sent presently for aid unto him: then presently Joshua marched with a mighty army from Gilgal toward Gibeon all night, and falling suddenly upon them gave them a great defeat: and flying before Israel the Lord cast great stones from heaven upon them, and killed more of them then the sword, and the Sun and Moon stood still that day, until the people had destroyed their enemies: and Joshua and all Israel returned to Gilgal; but the five Kings fled and hid them in a cave: afterwards Joshua commanded they should be brought forth, then Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the Captains, Come near and put your feet upon the necks of these Kings, and they did so: and after Joshua commanded them to be hanged upon five trees, and there they did hang until the evening: and being taken down, Joshua commanded they should be cast into the cave where they were found and laid great stones to the cave's mouth: and Joshua conquered all the Country and put them to the sword: 
Josh. 11.  for the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel: and Joshua returned and all Israel with him unto the camp to Gilgal.  
After this Jabin King of Hazar, Jahab King of Madon, and all the King's north of the mountains, gathered themselves together and raised a marvellous great host: and pitched themselves together by the waters of Merom to fight against Israel: and Joshua came and all his people of war with him, and came suddenly upon them by the waters of Merom, and put them to a very great slaughter, and chased them unto great Zidon and Mizpeh, houghing their horses, and burning their chariots: and Joshua returned and took Hazor and killed the King thereof, and did all things as the Lord commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua.  
So Joshua took the whole land according to all that the Lord said unto Moses: 
Josh. 13.  and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel, according to their divisions by their tribes: and the land rested from war, chap. 18. And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there for the land was subdued before them.  
And the Lord appointed them by Joshua Cities of refuge, 
Josh. 15.  that he that killeth a man unawares and unwittingly may flee thither for refuge, and coming to that City he shall stand at the entering of the gate of the City, and declare his cause to the Elders of that City, and they shall receive him in: and if he be followed thither they shall not deliver him back, because he did the act unwittingly and hated him not before time.  
And they appointed Kedesh in Gallole in mount Nepthale, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Hebron in the mountain of Judah: and on the other side Jordan by Jericho Bezer in the wilderness out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golon out of the tribe of Manasseh.  
These were the Cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the strangers that sojourned among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares may flee thither, and not die by the avenger of blood until ●e stand before the congregation.  
Now after the land was conquered, and every tribe settled in their several divisions.  
Joshua called for the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, and commended them for their valour, and obedience to the Commandment of their Lord: and said unto them, Now the Lord hath given rest unto your brethren, return you unto the land of your possession which Moses the servant of God gave you on the other side of Jordane, but be careful to do the commandments and the Law which Moses gave you, and love the Lord your God and serve him with all your heart, and with all your souls; so Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh: 
Josh. 22.  to go unto Gilead the land of their possession formerly by the hand of Moses, and when they came to the borders of Jordan, there they built an altar by Jordan, and when the children of Israel heard thereof they gathered themselves together at Shiloh to go and war against them, and they sent unto them Phineas the son of Eleazar the Priest, and with him ten Princes of each tribe of Israel one, and coming unto the children of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh unto Gilead, and said unto them, Thus saith the congregation of the Lord: What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away from following the Lord in that ye have built you an altar? Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed until this day although there was a plague in the congregation of the Lord? if the Land you possess be unclean then come over to us where the tabernacle dwelleth and take possessions amongst us, but rebel not against the Lord, nor rebel against us in building you an altar beside the Altar of the Lord our God. Did not Achan commit a sin in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congegation of Israel, and that man perished not alone in his iniquity? then the children of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh answered them: The Lord God of gods, The Lord God of gods, and Israel shall know that this is no rebellion in building this altar: being not intended to offer thereon burnt offerings, or meat offerings, or peace offerings thereon; but only our reason was to set up a monument for fear of the time to come, that your children might speak to our children, What have you to do with the Lord God of Israel? because the river Jordan hath divided us, and so your children make our children cease from fearing the Lord: and therefore we raised that altar, not for burnt-of-ferings, but that it may be a witness between us and you and our generations after us, that we may do the service of the Lord before him with our burnt offerings and with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no part in the Lord, and therefore this altar we have made is a witness unto you and to your children hereafter.  
God forbid that we should have any altar but that Altar of the Lord our God that is before the tabernacle: and when Phineas the Priest, the Princes of the congregation, and the Elders of Israel heard this from them, Phineas said unto them, This day we perceive that the Lord is among us because ye have not committed this trespass against the Lord: and they returned unto the land of Canaan unto the children of Israel, and they all rejoiced and blessed God, and the children of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh, called the altar Ed, as a witness between the Lord and them: and after that God gave rest unto Israel from their enemies round about.  
And Joshua waxen old, 
Josh. 23.  called for all Israel and for their Elders, for their heads, a●d for their Judges, and told them of all things the Lord had done for them, and what the Lord would do if they served him: counselling them to be valiant and courageous, and to keep the Law delivered by Moses, and not to turn neither to the right hand nor to the left, nor to lean to the gods of the heathens: not to swear by them, or make marriages with them, if they did so, that they would be snares and traps unto them and thorns in their eyes until they perished from off the good land the Lord had given them.  
And he said, I am going the way of all the earth, and you know nothing hath failed you that the Lord promised you: but if you transgress the Covenant of the Lord your God, and serve other gods and bow yourselves to them, then shall the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and ye shall perish from the land.  
And Joshua again gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shichem and called for all the Elders of Israel, and they presented themselves before God, and Joshua told them of all the good things that the Lord had done to the children of Israel from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to that time. And the people said, they would serve no other gods than the God that brought them and their fathers out the land of Egypt from the house of bondage, and which did those great things in their sight, and preserved them in all their ways: and after much persuasions of Joshua unto the people to serve the Lord: he made a covenant with them that day, and set them a Statute and an Ordinance in Shechem, & Joshua wrote it in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone and set it up there under an oak that was by the Sanctuary of the Lord: so Joshua let the people depart every man to his inheritaece, and after he departed to his fathers, being one hundred and ten years old: 
Josh. 24.  and they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnah-Serah which is in mount Ephraim.   

MEDITATIONS upon the History of Joshua.  
O Lord, thou art gracious unto thine Inheritance, for though thou didst take thy servant Moses to his fathers, yet thou didst not leave thy children of Israel destitute and without a Leader to go before them, but sent them Joshua thy servant to be their captain and defender.  
This is, thy goodness, O Lord, still from time to time to be a preserver of thy people whom thou hast chosen, and this mercy of thy special providence and love, extended itself, O God, not only to thy children of Israel, but to thy holy Church militant here upon earth, and likewise to us most miserable sinners by thy continual providence over us; How often, O Lord, hast thou delivered me the son of thy handmaid, from time to time, and raised me helpers and preservers: I have found these thy mercies, and let the due consideration of them, enter into the closet of my heart, and there rest by a blessed remembrance of them, never to be forgotten; and grant that I may humble myself before thee with all due thankfulness and obedience to serve thee, and thou, O God, which continuedst thy mercy unto thy servant Joshuah and the children of Israel, continue thy good mercies unto me, direct and guide me over this Jordan of danger, that I be not drowned in sin, and grant that I may rightly and truly follow my guides, and the Ark of thy holy Covenant, by an humble and true distance, directly to follow their feet, lest I fall into the crooked bypaths, of my own inventions, and as thy children of Israel, after their deliverance over Jordan did show their thankfulness, by picking up stones at Gilgall, so fix and pitch in my heart, O Lord, some Sacred monuments of praise and thanksgiving for my redemption from the deep waters of pride and mischief: and circumcise thou my corrupted heart, and so cleanse and purge me, that I may be made fit to fight against sin and Satan, and the Jericho of this inconstant world, and grant that I may keep a holy passover here in the plains of my pilgrimage, before I approach before the walls of Jericho to conquer the lusts and vanities thereof: let my soul know, O Lord, that the Princes of darkness will rise up against me to destroy my soul, (as the Cana●nites and the Amorites did rise against Joshua) and therefore arm me with thy shield of faith, and strengthen me with the helmet of salvation: and as the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh did go before the children of Israel towards Jericho, so let thy blessed Angels, O Lord, go before me in this my passage of life and danger of sin: and let the enemies of my soul be astonished and in fear as they were before the children of Israel: and as thy holy Army, O Lord, did go by thy command seven times about Jericho with such solemnities as thou didst appoint, and by thy wonderful mercy, the walls of Jericho fell down, and the city was destroyed by fire: so give me thy servant grace to obey thee as thou commandest, thought it please not my sense, and to imitate thy holy Prophet David, to worship thee seven times a day, and to obey and serve thee in those things, and in that way, as thou by thy holy word, and the Church of Christ commands me, though it seem contrary to mine own unruly fancy, conceit, and opinion; that by thy mercy and my obedience, the stony walls of my wilfulness and iniquity may fall down in me, and thy divine fire may consume all the dross of my inward and sinful soul; and as Rahab the harlot, though a sinful woman, was the instrument of safety, to the spies sent by Joshua to view Jericho; and by her was discovered the fears of that country and people, which charity and hospitality of hers proved afterwards the saving of herself, her kindred, and all that she had; so by this example let me know, O Lord, that thou canst work good out of evil, for the good of thy servants, and them that go forward to serve thee in the obedience of thy commands.  
And good Lord, by this let me know, and discern, the great reward thou preparest for them that do the works of charity, and what a buckler and defence it is unto them, in the time of danger when the judgement and strength of man is feeble for O Lord, it is thy promise to reward the works of mercy: furthermore, good Lord, keep covetousness, pride, and dissembling from the soul of thy servant; let not the Babylonish garment of pride take hold on me, nor let me incline to the wedge of gold to infatuate my understanding, thereby to draw me from my obedience to that which thou commandest; then shall I avoid the punishment due unto disobedience, & the hurt & danger which may redound unto thy Israel my brethren; good Lord, when I shall fall, raise me up with true repentance, and let me lie in wait by all prudent and careful ways in an holy ambush, to destroy and entrap these men of Ai, the enemies of my soul; and after thy deliverance of me, and the forgiveness of my former offences, build in my heart an altar of thanksgiving to sacrifice my soul unto thee and praise thee in the presence of the Ark of thy Covenant before all the Elders of thy Church; and if in this my spiritual progress, I shall meet with any people of bad deservings, give me grace to bear with their infirmities, and to keep my Covenant and promise with them, and to help them in their distress, as Joshua did deliver the Gibeonites, because of his oath that he swore unto them; and good Lord, help and assist me in the continual conflicts of this world, of so much danger and trouble to my soul: help me at the waters of Merom, from the conflicts that there I may suffer, by the grand opposers of my hoped for happiness, and for my deliverance I may give thanks unto thee, and serve thee, in that thy tabernacle of Shiloh which is the house of God.  
Lord, by thy mercy give me the benefit and comfort of thy Cities of refuge, that by my sins of ignorance and weakness, I may not fall into thy hands of Justice, but may be received unto mercy: and give me grace, O Lord, to be thankful and well contented with that portion of livelihood, which thou hast appointed for me, amongst the tribes thy servants, in this Israel wherein I live: give me grace to follow and obey the counsels of my spiritual governor's, and have a venerable regard to their commands, as the good Israelites had, to the last counsels of Joshuah, and so good Lord, living in the true obedience of thee, I may depart this transitory life in thy blessed fear and favour, even for Jesus Christ his sake, my only hope, my captain and deliverer.  
Amen.   

THE HISTORY of DEBORAH.  
NOw after the death of Josh●●h and Ehud, 
Judg. 4.  the children of Israel did that which was evil in the fight of the Lord; for which their sins the Lord sold them into the hands of Jabin, King of 〈◊〉, the Captain of whose host was Sisera, who oppressed them exceedingly, even for t●●eaty years. At which time Deborah the Prophetess, Wife unto Lapidoth, judged Israel, who then dwelled under a Palmtree, between Ramah and Bethel, in M●●nt-Ephraim, to whom the people came up for judgement, who in their distress cried unto the Lord: and the people coming thus unto her, she 〈…〉 Barak, the son of Abino●● out of K●desh-Nepthali: who coming to her she told how the Lord had commanded he should take with him ten thousand men of the children of Nepthali and Zebulon, and go towards mount-T●bor, saying to him likewise, how the Lord would bring Softra with all his Army to the River Kishon, and deliver them into his hands: but he answered, that except she would go with him herself, he would not go; to whom she replied, I will surely go with thee: but the journey thou takest shall not be to thire honour, for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a Woman: So she arose, and went with Barak, to Ka●esh, they having with them ten thousand men of Z●●●lon and Nepthali, who after 〈◊〉 to Mount- 〈◊〉.  
Now it was that Heber the Kenite the father in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his Tent near Kadesh. And they showed Sisera how Barak was gone up to Mount-Tabor; whereupon he gathered all his strength together, even nine hundred chariots of Iron, and great store of people gathered from Harosheth unto the River Kishon; of which Deborah hearing, she bade Barak to rise and go against Sisera, saying that the Lord was gone before, and how Sisera should be destroyed.  
So Barak marched down from Mount-tabor with the ten thousand men, and by the help of the Lord he discomfited Sisera and all his host, pursuing and killing them, leaving not a man; at which time Sisera leaving his Chariot, fled on his feet, and came to the Tent of I●●l the Wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace then between Jabin & the house of Heber.  
Now Sisera coming towards the Tent, Jael came out to meet him, who said unto him, turn in my Lord, turn in to me, fear not. So he went in, and she covered him with a mantle: but he being athirst, desired of her a little water, but she having a bottle of milk, gave him that to drink.  
And then he said to her, stand at the door, and if any inquire if any man be here, say no: so he lay down to sleep, she covering of him.  
Now whiles he was sleeping and weary, she took a nail of the Tent, and a hammer, and coming softly unto him, smote the nail into his Temples, fastening of him to the ground, and so he died.  
At which instant Barak pursuing of Sisera, and coming towards the Tent, Jael came out to meet him, saying, come in, and I will show thee the man whom thou seekest: so he came in and found Sisera dead, the nail being in his Temples.  
So God subdued on that day Jabin King of Canaan before the children of Israel.   

PRAYERS upon the History of DEBORAH.  
HOw unhappy are we by our inbred corruption, like these the children of Israel, who still was relapsing from the service of their Creator, and Preserver, even before, in, and since their forty years' journey towards that land of Promise. And now at this very time, being grown so high in iniquity, as for their due punishment, the Lord sold them to the King of Canaan, who pesecuted them for twenty years; such is the reward of sin, and so just is the Lord in his judgement against sinners.  
O Lord let me to know, that when we do wickedly, that thy justice lies at our doors, and how thy wrath will break in upon us. And if with Judas we betray the sincerity of plainness in our heart towards thee, with the deceitful kiss of hypocrisy, and sell thee, and in thee, ourselves, to commit wickedness in thy sight.  
Most justly mayst thou deal with us as thou didst with Israel, when they were sold by the King of Canaan.  
Therefore O Lord deliver me from this most dangerous merchandizing with sin, lest I become Bankrupt by mine iniquity, and so come short of paying my duty and service unto thee, thereby to be cast into the gaol of thy displeasure: and by the loss of thy favour and grace, be sold as a slave to sin, & partake with the punishment so due for such a dismal debt; not only for twenty years with Israel, but even for Eternity with such who have not known thee.  
O Lord in the most dangerous distress of my soul, by reason of sin, give me grace to call timely unto thee, yea to c●me unto thee thou supreme Judge of Israel▪ even thou which dwellest between the Cherubims, and sits'● under the Palmtree thy blessed seat of mercy.  
Look upon my distress, and deliver me from this sin, and that punishment that I so justly deserve for mine iniquity, and deliver me from the powerful enemy of my soul, who seeks to corrupt & destroy me, either from the truth or power of thy word, like Barak, whose confidence was more in a frail woman, Deborah, by her presence, then in thy promises who art omnipotent.  
Bring me with the strength of thy grace to the holy mountain of thy power and saving health, strengthen my faith and confidence in thee, to fight against this proud Sisera of sin my capital enemy, and send thy might from this thy holy mountain of Tabor, that by thy power & gra●● I may be made able to overthrow and defeat all the disturbers of my soul's health, who lies so strongly in wait to destroy me, with such worldly advantages by their River of Kishon.  
Dissipate all the designs O Lord of all my spiritual enemies, let them fly before thy wrath as Sisera did to the Tent of Jael, and there let them perish in the snares of their own intended mischiefs to the innocent.  
Retain in me a harmless and a pure conscience, so shall I lie down with safety, and rest under thy happy protection, with security to my soul, and escape the like judgement that f●ll upon Sisera, which is the reward of presumptuous and unrepentant sinners.  
And for thy mercies let me praise thee, & in the innocency of a sincere soul, for ever to serve and obey thee, until I shall be freed from this spiritual warfare here, and be made happy to rejoice with thee in that happiness and bliss of eternity hereafter. And let me magnify thy Name with Deborah and Barak, saying with them,  
Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel; 
Judg. 5.  hear O ye Kings, give ear O ye Princes, I, even I will sing unto the Lord; I will sing praise unto the Lord God of Israel.  
The mountains melted from before the Lord, even that Sinai from before the Lord God of Israel.  
My heart is towards the Governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people, bless ye the Lord.  
Awake, awake, Deborah, awake awake, utter a song. Arise Barak, and lead thy Captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.  
The river of Kishon swept them way, that ancient River, that River of Kishon. O my soul thou hast trodden down strength.  
So let all thine enemies perish O Lord: but let them that love him be as the Sun, when he goeth forth in his might.   

THE HISTORY OF RUTH.  
IN the time that the Judges ruled in Israel there was a Dearth in the Land, upon which▪ Elimelech of Bethlehem Judah went to sojourn in the Country of Moah, with his Wife Naomi, with their two sons, where continuing a while Elimelech died, and she remained with her sons, who took them Wives of the Moabites, the one was named Orpah, the other Ruth, who lived thereabout ten years, where both these sons died, after whose death Naomi hearing the Lord had given them bread in her own Country, thither she returned, with her, two Daughters in Law into the Land of Judah; then Naomi persuaded these her two Daughters in Law, to return to their own Mother● houses, desiring the Lord would show the like favour 〈◊〉 them, as they had done to the Dead, and to her; wishing them comfort in the house of their husbands, and when she had kissed them they wept: But they desired still to continue with her, to whom she answered, turn again my daughters, for I shall have no more sons to be your husbands, and pleaded much with them to return, so Orp●● departed, but Ruth stayed with her: but still Naomi persuaded Ruth to go, but Ruth told her whither she did go she would go, and where she dwelled she would dwell, saying moreover, thy people shall be my people, and thy God, my God, where thou diest I will die, and there will I be buried, the Lord do so to me and more also, if ought but death part thee and me; So when Naomi●aw ●aw her love & steadfastness, she brought her along with her to Bethlehem, and it was in the beginning of Barley Harvest; where Naomies deceased husband had a Kinsman of great power, whose name was Boaz.  
Now Ruth desired her Mother in Law, that she might go with others to glean, who giving of her leave, she went and gleaned after the Reapers, and it happened to be in the field of Boaz, who coming from Bethlehem, he said to the Reapers, the Lord be with you, and they bade the Lord bless him, and he seeing Ruth, he asked the servant, that oversee the reapers, who she was, who told him she was the Moabitish Maid that came with Naomi, and how she desired to glean there.  
Then said Boaz unto Ruth, my daughter go not into any other field, but abide by my Maids, go after them, I have charged the servants that they touch thee not when thou 〈◊〉 thirst drink such as the servants have, than she fell on her face, and bowed to the ground, and said unto him how have I found favour in thine eyes, that thou shouldest know me, seeing I am a stranger: But he told he● he heard what she was, and what she had done for her Mother in Law, having left her Father, Mother, and her Country, to come amongst strangers, so the Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust; then she said let me find favour in thy fight my Lord, for thou hast comforted me.  
Then Boaz bade her come at meal-times to eat bread, and so she sat by the Reapers, and he reached her parched Corn and she did eat, and he commanded she should glean amongst the sheaves; and so returning in the Evening with plenty to her Mother in Law, she asked her with whom she did glean, who told her it was in the Field of Boaz, then said Naomi, blessed be the Lord for he ceaseth not to do good, to the living and to the dead, telling Ruth he was of her husbands kindred, & did wish her not to glean in any other place, but with the Maids of Boaz.  
Now Naomi did love Ruth, 
Ruth 3.  exceedingly she finding her goodness, and constancy, and said unto her, shall not I seek rest for thee my Daughter, that thou mayest prosper, saying is not Boaz out Kinsman, and this night he winnoeth Barley, wash and anoint thyself, and put on thy Raiment, and get thee down thither, & let him not know of thee until he have left eating, and drinking, and when he shall sleep mark where he lieth down, and uncover the place of his feet, & lie thee down, and he shall tell thee what thou shalt do. And Ruth did according to her directions. Now when Boaz had eat, drunk, and cheered his heart, he lay down by the heap of corn, & she came softly, and uncovering his feet, lay down: and he awaking about midnight, and feeling one, he was afraid. Then he said, who art thou; she answered, Ruth thy handmaid, spread therefore the wing of thy garment over me for thou art the Kinsman. Then said he, Blessed be thou of the Lord my daughter, thou hast showed more goodness in the latter end then at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, were they poor or rich. And now my daughter fear not, I will do what thou requirest, for all the City of my people know thee, that thou art a virtuous woman. Telling her, that true it was, he was her kinsman: but there was one nearer, so bade her lie there all night: and if in the morning he would do the duty of a Kinsman, to marry her, well and good: but if he would not, he would then do the duty of a Kinsman himself: So she lying at his feet until the morning, she arose early, he desiring that none should know that any woman had been there: so he calling for her sheet, giving her fix measures of barley, and returning to the City, she came to her Mother in law, and gave her the corn, telling her all the passages between Boaz and herself. So she bade Ruth sit still until she heard further of the thing, telling her how he would not rest until the thing were done.  
Then without delay, 
Ruth 4.  Boaz went up to the gate of the City, to whom came this Kinsman named, to Ruth, Boaz desiring him to sit down; likewise ten Elders of the City came and sat down with them. Then said Boaz to this Kinsman, Naomi is come out of the country of Moab, who will sell a parcel of land that was our brother Elemelicks, and so proffered it unto him, being of nearest in kindred, to redeem it, before them Elders. If he would not, that himself being the next, he would. Then he said he would redeem it. Then said Boaz, if thou buyest it of Naomi, thou must also buy it of Ruth the Moabitis, the wife of the dead, to stir up the name of the dead upon his inheritance; the which this Kinsman refused, saying, if he did so, he should destroy his own, and so put off that his right to Boaz, and to confirm it according to the custom, than he put off his shoe, and gave it to him, which confirmed the agreement.  
Then Boaz called them all to witness of this contract, wherein he likewise did buy Ruth the Wife of Mahlon to be his Wife, to stir up the name of the dead. All which the Elders did witness, who prayed unto God that Ruth might be to him like Rachel and Leah, which two did build the house of Israel, and that he might be famous in Bethlehem, and that by the seed of Ruth, his house might be like Pharez, whom Thamer bore unto Judah.  
So Boaz took Ruth to his wife, and the Lord gave her a son: and the women said to Naomi, blessed be the Lord, which hath not jest thee this day without a kinsman. And his name shall be continued in Israel, and this shall bring thy life again, and cherish thine old age; for thy daughter in law which loveth thee hath born unto him, & she is better unto thee then seven sons.  
And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her lap, and became nurse unto it, and the women gave it a name, call it Obed, which after was the father of Ishai, the father of David the King.   

PRAYERS UPON THE History of RUTH.  
O Lord, in the prosperities & adversities of this world, thou hast thy ways of mercy unto us, as it befell unto the children of Israel, even in their famines, what blessings didst thou give them, by their perigrinations into other Lands: and how didst thou from time to time, not only provide for their bodily sustenance, but likewise for their spiritual welfare, both in Egypt and other places.  
And O Lord, no less was thy extraordinary mercy unto Naomi, by her journey in the time of famine unto Moab, with her husband and children, whom though by the course of nature death deprived her of them, yet thou didst raise up unto her a most happy daughter in law, even Ruth.  
O Lord, this is the general current of thy continual mercy unto us, and nothing makes us so unhappy as the want of the fight & consideration of that which daily befalls us, through the course of our frail life. Therefore open thou mine eyes that I may see these thy mercies unto me, & for ever praise thee for thy goodness.  
The constant resolution and charity of Ruth unto her Mother in law is for our imitation, as the very true example of love and pity, it being the more full of goodness and rarity, they being of two several Nations and Religions.  
O Lord, give me such happy love and pity as was in this thy servant Ruth with her resolution in the pursuit of all good things, which may tend to thy glory and worship; let no worldly persuasions or reasons draw me from my way to Bethlehem, in the land of thy promised happiness: but with the good and virtuous, let me follow their steps, as Ruth did Naomi, that thou their God mayst be my God, and that I may turn from my worldly and Moabitish affections, & attain to the happy serving of thee in Judah; so shall I live and die amongst the righteous, by this thy mercy and help unto my weakness. And as nothing but death could part Ruth from Naomi, so good Lord, let my soul so love and fear thee, as to my last breath my hope, comfort and confidence may rest in thee alone, & undividable.  
O Lord furnish me with such happiness as was in Ruth, by her charity and humble deportment; for which as thy blessing was upon this thy own gift of mercy unto her: so she had the happiness of a good esteem in the world, she being so full of modesty and virtue.  
Give me O Lord such piety as may be pleasing unto thee, with such humility & harmless courtesy, as may gain the love and good opinion of my neighbours.  
O Lord grant unto me such perfect friendship with my friend, as was between Naomi & Ruth, with such loving and plain intentions: so by thy goodness and mercy shall I enjoy such love, comfort, & content as was between them to their dying days.  
O Lord, all thy works are so full of wonder, as we cannot sufficiently admire them, as it was by thy providence to bring Ruth unto Judah, not only through so many stops, by confirming her good purpose: so now, so strangely to bring her to glean in the field of Boaz, whereby such a happiness did befall her, not only for worldly respects, ●ut likewise even in a heavenly happiness, by the marriage and issue she had by Boaz.  
O Lord my God, my ingratitude would cast me even into hell without recovery, if I should not for ever most thankfully acknowledge thy many mercies & deliverances unto me, not only in my temporal preservations & blessings, but thou hast brought me into the field of thy plentiful goodness, to the bottles of comfort, and the sheaves of thy strength and saving grace, showing me all thy blessings, to strengthen my confidence in thee, and bought me at a dearer rate than Boaz paid for Ruth.  
Boaz coming into th● field amongst the reapers, said to them, the Lord be with you: & they answering, the Lord bless thee. Admirable and exemplary was the goodness and plainness of the hearts of our Ancestors, whose blessings was one upon another: & by such their good meanings, the blessings of God being upon them. What blessings from time to time did God give unto the blessings which Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob gave to their children and people. Lamentable is the condition we are grown unto in this our iron & ungodly age, whiles this blessing is accounted superstition, and common courtesy being even departed from amongst us. Our very children having left off thet common duty and civility which formerly they used, even with their milk, learning to be surly, saucy, and disobedient.  
O Lord deliver me from this bad custom, that tends to such ungodliness, from spiritual pride, ●nd an overweening opinion and conceit of my own judgement. But give me grace to follow the good and plain paths of my forefathers, in such things as concerns my obedience unto thee, and my duty to my Parents & Superiors with christian courtesy, to be friendly, humble, and charitable to all men; for thou promisest thy blessing and exaltation to the humble: but confusion will fall upon the proud, whom thou O Lord dost resist.  
The love of Ruth to Naomi was great, & the comfort she received from her did exceed with her integrity in the doing of it, being so sincere by leaving her country, her parents, and her deceased Husband's house. And therefore as Boaz by his blessing & prayer for her, said, the Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust. So God the rewarder of the righteous and merciful, seeing her humility and goodness, did hear the prayers of this righteous man, by showing such great mercy unto h●r, the which did after follow, even in a plentiful manner indeed, for though by her first husband she had no Issue; yet by Boaz she had Obed, from whom descended the wellspring of our happiness and salvation.  
Oh thy goodness O Lord, whose bounds are without limit, and whose works and ways are unsearchable; thy rewards are the fullness of happiness, & thy mercy extends from generation to generation, to such as love and fear thee. Therefore O Lord, mortify all vain & wicked affections which are so inbred in me, by thy grace cast them out, and place in stead thereof the strength of a lively faith, and the fullness of love and charity, that thereby I may forsake myself, and all things that are dear and near unto me, and follow the good steps of the godly, as Ruth did Naomi. So that at last I may arrive to the happiness, and rest within the limits of thy true Church, that pillar of truth and safety, and there with an humble heart to serve thee as Ruth did, by coming into Judah, that once limited place of thy worship.  
O ●he good plainness & harmless simplicity of that golden age of the world, when bread and water was their common viands, & parched corn the master's food, as it was with Boaz, an eminent man in his age, for such was his fare and entertainment to a stranger, when he reached some to Ruth, yet then did God bless them with comfort, health, and length of days. O Lord deliver me from the pampering of this my corrupt flesh, with the voluptuous sensuality of these licentious times, the bane of the soul by such luxury, and the shortening of our days by such surfeits. But give me such moderation as I may rather fast then feast: and by which in this health of my soul, I may the better serve thee here, & that thereby hereafter I may attain unto that happiness, where the length of days both for soul and body is life everlasting. O Lord make me studious to requite courtesies, & zealous to balance the works of charity & piety, as Naomi her zeal was for Ruth, by wishing her to Boaz, and give prosperity to all my good intentions with the blessing of a thankful heart for the success of thy mecies unto me.  
Grant O God, that I may be faithful and firm in my promise, as Boaz was to Ruth, true to my friend, as he was to his kinsman, and discreet in my actions, as be was in his performance before the Elders. God's divine providence did mightily appear by the marriage of these two righteous, Boaz & Ruth, as his blessings upon them after made it manifest. O happy Bethlehem, to which place Ruth the mirror of love and pity, with so much difficulty came unto, led thither by the light of divine power, and following the good steps of Naomi, who there was made happy in her son Obed.  
O happy Bethlehem, to which place that ever blessed virgin Mary came, that most resplendent Vessel of bliss and happiness, being led thither by the light of the holy Ghost, and then coming upon devotions towards Jerusalem. O thou blessed Bethlehem, consecrated to our happiness, for there was born a Saviour. Ruth was happy in her son Obed: but this Mary, blessed amongst women, by her son, redemption and salvation came into us. O Lord my God, let the star of thy brightness appear unto me, that with them lowly Shepherds I may come to this sacred Bethlehem, and there find out that lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world; more happy were them Kings who came to see thy holy face in the manger at Bethlehem by their humiliations and offerings, & this blessed sight of thee, then in all their glistering loyalties & vainglory of this world. Let me O Lord partake with these Kings in their devotions & humiliations, thou King of heaven. Endue & lead me with the star of thy grace, that I may come unto thee with the presents of perfect humility, patience and perseverance in the pursuit of such things as shall be pleasing unto thee. So after thine enlightening here by this light of thy holy countenance and favour unto me, grant that at last I may attain unto that everlasting light in heaven, where from the manger and thy crucifying for our sins, thou art exalted into glory everlasting.   

THE HISTORY OF Hezekiah, and the destruction of jerusalem by Nabuchadnezzar in the reign of Zedekiah.  
IT came to pass in the fourteenth year of Hezekiah that Senacherib King of Assyria, 
Isa. 36.  came into Judah and took all the strong holds, and he sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem unto Hezekiah with a great Army: then came forth unto him from the King, Eliakim and divers others: and Rabshakeh said unto them, Say ye unto Hezekiah, Thus saith the great King of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest? and spoke other great words, and blasphemed against the God of Israel, and demanding pledges for his Master the King of Assyria.  
Then said Eliakim unto him, I pray thee speak unto thy servants in the Syrian tongue for we understand it, and speak not to us in the Jews language in the ears of the people that are upon the wall.  
But Rabshakeh said, 
Isa. 37.  Hath my Master sent me to thy Master and to thee to speak these words? Hath not he sent me unto the men that sit upon the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you? and he spoke this with a loud voice in the Jews language: and said more, Thus saith the King of Assyria, Let not Hezekiah deceive you, for he shall not be able to deliver you: neither let him make you trust in the Lord, or think he can deliver you, harken not to the King; but come you out with a present and make your agreement, that ye may eat under your own vines, and drink in your own cisterns: but the people held their peace answering him not a word; for so the King commanded them: then came Eliakim and the rest that were sent out, to Hezekiah with their clothes rend, and told him the words of Rabshakeh: when the King heard it he rend his clothes, and put on sackcloth, and went into the hose of the Lord; and he sent Eliakim and the Elders of the Priests covered with sackcloth unto Isaiah the Prophet the son of Amos.  
And they told him of the blasphemy and threatening of Rabshakeh: and the Prophet answered them, Thus shall you say unto your Master: Thus saith the Lord, Be not afraid of the words wherewith Rabshakeh hath blasphemed me: Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour and return to his own land, and there he shall fall by the sword: and the King of Assyria being gone from Lachish to fight with the King of Ethiopia: he sent messengers to Hezekiah to say unto him, Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the King of Assyria, as well as other lands: and Hezekiah received the Letter from the hand of the messengers, and after he had read it, he went into the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord, and prayed unto him, saying, O Lord of hosts God of Israel that dwellest between the Cherubins, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth: incline thine ear, O Lord, and hear; open thine eyes, O Lord, and see, and hear all the words of Senacherib which hath sent to reproach the living God. Now therefore, O Lord, our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord, even thou only.  
Then Isaiah the son of Amos sent unto Hezekiah, saying, Whereas he had prayed unto the Lord against Senacherib, the Lord would near him, and put a hook in ●is nose, and a bridle in his lips and turn him back by the way he came, and that he should not come into the city of Jerusalem, nor shoot an arrow there, nor cast a bank or trench against it; but would defend and preserve the city for his own sake, and for his servant David's sake: and the Angel of the Lord went forth and smote in the Camp of the Assyrians one hundred four score and five thousand: 
Jer. 37.  so Senacherib King of Assyria departed and returned and dwelled at Niniveh: and after it came to pass as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adramelech and Sharezar his sons smote him with the sword, and they escaped into the land of Armenia, and Esarhaddon his son reigned in his steed.  
And in those days was Hezekiah King of Israel sick unto the death, 
Isa. 38.  and Isaiah the Prophet came unto him, and said, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order for thou shalt die: then Hezekiah turned his face towards the wall & prayed unto the Lord, Saying, Remember now, O Lord, I do beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart: and he wept exceedingly: then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah, saying, Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, and have seen thy tears, Behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years, and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the King of Assyria.  
And this shall be a sign unto thee from the Lord, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees which is gone down in the Sunne-dyall of Ahaz ten degrees backward: and Hezekiah praised the Lord for his mercy, saying, The Lord was ready to save me, therefore will I sing my song to the stringed instruments all the days of my life in the house of the Lord: and Isaiah gave order to apply unto him a lump of figs, and lay it as a plaster upon his boil, which did heal him.  
About that time Merodach Baladan 
Isa. 39  the son of Baladan King of Babylon sent a letter and presents unto Hezekiah hearing he had been sick: and the King was glad of their coming, and entertained them with great courtesy, and showed them all his precious things; the silver, gold, spices, and the precious ointments; his armour, and all that could be seen in his house, or his dominions.  
Then came Isaiah the Prophet unto King Hezekiah and said unto him, What said these men, and from whence came they? and Hezekiah said, They came even from Babylon: then said he, What have they seen in thine house? and Hezekiah answered, I have showed them all in my treasures, and nothing have I hid from them: then said Isaiah unto him, Hear the word of the Lord of hosts, Behold, the days will come that all that is within thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day shall be carried to Babylon, nothing shall be left, saith the Lord: and of thy sons which shall issue from thee shall they take away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the King of Babylon. And according to this prophecy, many years after it came to pass.  
Jeremiah living at that time when Nebuchadnezar came to besiege Jerusalem, 
Isa. 37.  he told them what would befall: but the Princes were wroth with him and put him in prison: after he had been there many days Zedekiah the King sent and took him out, and the King asked him secretly, Is there any word from the Lord? and Jeremiah said, There is: for thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the King of Babylon, therefore hear me, O my lord the king, let my suit come unto thee, that I may not return to prison where I was, lest I die there: then the King commanded he should be committed into another prison, and that he should have given him daily a piece of bread out of the Baker's street, whiles the bread lasted: but still the Prophet persisted, and told them, Thus saith the Lord, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the King of Babylon's army: therefore the Princes were incensed against him, and said unto the King, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death, for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war and all the people in this city in speaking thus unto them.  
And the King said, He is in your hands, do with him what you please: and they took Jeremiah and cast him in a dungeon, and they let him down by a rope, and in the dungeon was no water but mire that he sunk in: and some men complained of this cruelty done to Jeremiah unto the King, who commanded thirty men to go and take up Jeremiah out of the dungeon: and they took old rags and cast them down into the dungeon, the which Jeremiah put under his arm pits, and so they drew him up: and Zedekiah the King sent for Jeremiah and said unto him, I will ask thee a thing, hide nothing from me: and Jeremiah said unto the King, If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not put me to death? and if I give thee counsel wilt thou hearken to me? so the king swore secretly unto Jeremiah saying, as the Lord liveth that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, nor give thee into the hands of these men that seek thy life.  
Then he said unto the king, 
Jer. 38. 17.  thus saith the Lord God of hosts the God of Israel, if thou wilt go forth to the Princes of the king of Babylon, than thy soul shall live; and this city shall not be burnt with fire, and thou and thy house shall live. But if thou wilt not go forth unto them, then shall this city be given to the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it, and thou shalt not escape out of their hands, and the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me to their hands, and they mock me.  
But the Prophet said, they shall not deliver thee, obey I beseech thee the voice of the Lord, so shall it be well with thee. But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that the Lord hath showed me. Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, let no man know of these words, and thou shalt not die; the which he did: so Jeremiah after, abode in the Court of the prison, until the day that jerusalem was taken.  
And it came to pass on the ninth year of Zedekiah king of judah, Nebuchadnezzer king of Babylon, and his army came before jerusalem and besieged it, and in the eleventh year of Zedekiah the city was taken, and all the Princes of the king of Babylon entered the city, at which time Zedekiah and all his men of war fled out of the city by night, by the way of the king's gardens, but the army of the Chaldeans pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of jericho, and took him & brought him to Nabuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who gave judgement upon him, and caused his sons to be slain before his face, and all the Nobles of Judah, and he put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in chains to carry him to Babylon, and they burnt jerusalem, and broke down the walls thereof, and carried captive to Babylon all the remainder of the people that were within the city, but left the poorer sort that had nothing, and gave them vineyards and fields; and the king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to take him, and do him no harm, but use him with all kindness, so they took Jeremiah out of the Court of the prison, and sent him home, so he dwelled among the people.   

MEDITATIONS upon the History of king Hezekiah.  
EVerlasting God, whilst we live here in this earthly Jerusalem, nothing is to be expected, but continual conflicts in our spiritual warfare, between the world, the flesh, and the spirit; how bitterly O Lord, and vehemently doth the enemy of my soul, like Rabshekah, suggest into me distrusts and fears, to make me doubtful of thy promises and providence, endeavouring to weaken my faith and confidence in thee, by putting great fears, doubts, and troubles, to my inward and frail senses.  
In this affliction and trouble to my soul, O Lord I beseech thee from time to time to give me grace with good Hezekiah, to come unto thee with my heart rend, and continually to implore thy blessed help and assistance, and that I may obtain the like mercy that he did receive from thee, and let not that hellish blasphemer prevail over me, but put thou a hook in his nose, & a bridle in his lips, and send a blast upon him, that he may be driven away, and have no more power to disturb and oppress my weak & feeble soul, by his threatenings and suggestions; and good Lord, in all thy conflicts, batteries, and oppressions, that hereafter I may meet withal by this my spiritual and dangerous enemy to my soul, give me grace most humbly to come unto thee my hope and helper, and to thy house where thou dwellest between the Cherubins; and there, as Hezekiah in his trouble and distress, did spread out the letter of Zenacherib before thee, and humbled himself before thee with much sorrow; so good Lord, in all my troubles, grant that I may spread before thee, with true and perfect humility of heart, the troubles and afflictions of my soul; and then O Lord hear me, and in pity look upon my danger, and deliver me, from the power of the Zenacherib of this world, and his instruments, the disturbers of my pilgrimage to my heavenly happiness, and the quiet of a good conscience in this Jerusalem, strengthen (O Lord) my outward walls of flesh and blood, enable me with obedience and patience, quietly to bear the reproaches and threatenings of this my spiritual enemy, which in a kind of proportion, the Children of Israel did endure upon the walls of jerusalem; deliver me from the danger of their deadly arrows O Lord, and grant they may not entrench about my soul to endanger it.  
And O Lord, as for thy servant David's sake, thou didst look favourably upon Jerusalem, so I do most humbly beseech thee for thy son Jesus Christ his sake to be merciful unto me, to defend and keep me thy servant that putteth his trust in thee, from the danger of all my spiritual enemies, whensoever it shall please thee to visit me by the bed of sickness, be thou then merciful unto me a sinner, O Lord, and with Hezekiah let me turn unto thee with true and perfect contrition of heart, and grant that then I may receive mercy and comfort from thee, thou God of mercy and compassion, and as thou sentest thy Prophet Isaiah unto Hezekiah to comfort him in his sickness, and who administered unto him help both for soul and body, so be thou merciful unto me a sinner, and at the hour of distress and danger, send unto me thy servant, spiritual comforts, to assist my feeble soul towards thee, and good Lord let the lengthening of my days here upon earth, and my health, be sanctified unto me, that thereby I may be strengthened to serve thee better and more carefully, for thy goodness and mercy; and let me know and continually consider, that the eternal life hereafter, is the only true happiness, and let me so run my course here, O Lord, that at last I may attain and come to that safe haven of felicity, the only hope of my soul's health, and the hope of all them that put their trust in thee.  
O Lord thou seest and knowest the great we aknesse and frailty of flesh and blood, and that without thy continual help we cannot stand, but still are subject to stumblings and falls by the traps of the old serpent and watchful enemy, when it shall please thee O Lord to hear my prayer, and to deliver me thy servant from all those dangers and evils, as thou didst Hezekiah, and the which I have so humbly desired of thee. Let me not fall I do most humbly beseech thee, into that great impiety and danger, to forget thy mercies, to grow proud and confident of myself, and of my wealth and power; and to expose my vanity to the Babylonian messengers and intelligencers, the enemies of my soul, But let me always be watchful over myself, to avoid the danger of all wicked suggestions, and still to humble myself before thee, and truly to know, and seriously consider, that all things upon earth, beauty, wealth, or whatsoever else, that is most pleasing to our fond and unbridled fancy, are as but dung, even glistering and fading vanities; and so shall they servant O Lord, by avoiding these vanities, continue in thy favour, and befreed from the bondage and yoke of Babylon, and all the just punishments of sin, and be safe within the walls of Jerusalem, and worship thee in thy holy Temple for ever.   

MEDITATIONS Upon the taking of Zedekiah, and the captivity of the children of Israel.  
O Lord, when we are captived unto sin, and drunk in our iniquities, how blind do we run headstrong to destruction? neither Zedekiah nor his Princes would follow the counsels of the Prophet Jeremiah, for the king was besotted, and the Princes were infatuated in their understandings, & so destruction came upon them. O Lord make my soul to know the great danger of sin, and what effect it works, where presumption fears no danger, and hardness of heart, shuts the gates of mercy. Therefore O Lord remove from me thy servant this hardness of heart, and presumptuous sinning against the least; I run by my corruption into this dangerous way of blindness and wilfulness to perdition; make me capable and willing to receive good counsel, and to obey the instructions and directions of my spiritual guides, and not to follow my own dark obstinate mind and opinion, that will lead me by a back way, and a bad way towards Jericho, where my spiritual enemy will entrap, overthrow, and triumph over me; then shall I be captive to a merciless enemy, and never see again the beauty of Jerusalem, but live in chains and Babilonish blindness with Zedekiah. But open thou mine eyes O Lord, that I may see the mysteries of thy laws, and obey them; then shall I behold the beauty of thy holiness for ever.   

THE WICKEDNESS Of the sons of Eli, and the taking of the Ark of the Lord by the Philistines.  
THE sins of the sons of Eli was very great before the Lord, 
1 Sam. 2. 12.  for by their bad carriage, men abhorred the offering of the Lord, and they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the Tabernacle of the congregation. Eli then being old, and hearing all that his sons had done in Israel, with too much mildness he said unto them, why do you such things? I hear of your evil dealings by all the people, it is no good report I hear of you, my sons, ye make the Lords people to transgress; but they harkened not to the voice of their father, and there came a man of God unto Eli, and told him of all the mercies that God had done unto his house, to sacrifice and wear an Ephod before him, telling him of his too much adhering to his sons, and threatened the judgement of God upon his house, and that Hophni and Phineas his two sons should die both in one day, and that God would raise up another faithful Priest to sacrifice before him, and that the remainder of Elies' house should come and crouch to him for a morsel of bread, and shall say, put me I pray thee into one of the Priests offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.  
And the Lord said to Samuel the Prophet, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle, for what I shall do against Eli; when I begin I will also make an end, for his iniquity which he knoweth, because his sons were wicked, and he restrained them not; Samuel feared to show Eli that vision, but Eli called Samuel and said, my son what is the thing that the Lord hath said unto thee. I pray thee hide it not from me, and Samuel told him every whit, hiding nothing from him.  
Now the Israelites went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched by Eben-ezer, and the Philistines met them, and they joined in battle, and Israel was smitten, and 4000 of them was slain.  
And the Elders of Israel coming into the Camp, they said, let us fetch the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hands of our enemies; so the people sent to Shiloh to bring from thence the Ark of the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth between the Cherubins, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni, and Phineas, were there with the Ark of God, and when it was brought unto the Camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again. When the Philistines heard thereof, and that the Ark was come into the Camp, they were afraid, saying, God is come into the Camp of Israel, and woe unto us, who shall deliver us from this mighty God, this is the God that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues, but they nevertheless encouraged one another to quit themselves like men, that they might not be servants to the Hebrews, and after fight with Israel, they overthrew them, and they fled every man to his own tent, and there fell of Israel that day thirty thousand, and the Ark of God was taken, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni, and Phineas, were slain; and there ran a man of Benjamin out of the Army, and came to Shilo the same day with his clothes rend, and with earth upon his head; and when he came, Eli sat upon a seat by the way side watching, for his heart trembled for the Ark of God, and when it was told unto the city, they all cried out, and the man came to Eli, telling him he came out of the Army; then said Eli, what is done there my son? the messenger answered, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been a great slaughter; thy two sons Hophni and Phineas are dead, and the Ark of God is taken; and when Eli heard mention of the Ark of God, he fell backward from his seat by the side of the gate, and broke his neck and died, he was then 98 years old and blind, and heavy of body, and he had judged Israel forty years; and his daughter in law the wife of Phineas being with child, and near her time, hearing the Ark of God was taken, fell into travail, and being delivered of a son a little before her death, they would have comforted her herewith, but she did not regard it; but she named the child Jehabod saying, the glory is departed from Israel, for the Ark of God is taken.  
And the Philistines took the Ark of God and brought it to Ashdod, and set it in the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon, and when they came in the morning into the house, they found Dagon fallen upon his face to the earth, before the Ark of the Lord, and they set him up in his place again, & coming the next morning early, Dagon was fallen upon his face again to the ground before the Ark of the Lord, and was broken upon the threshold, only the stump of Dagon was left, for which the Priests of Dagon, nor the people ever after did tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod; but the hand of the Lord was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and all the coasts thereabout, and they were destroyed and smote with emrod's, and when they saw the judgement upon them, they said the Ark of the God Israel shall not abide with us, for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our God, and they assembled themselves together, and concluded to carry the Ark of the Lord unto Gath, and they carried it about thither, and that city was likewise smitten with the hand of God, with a great destruction, and they had emrod's in their secret parts; therefore they sent the Ark of God to Ekron, and they cried out saying, you have brought the Ark of the God of Israel to us to destroy us and our people, and all the Lords & people of the Philistines gathered together, & said, send away the Ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that we be not utterly destroyed, for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city, and the men that died not, were smitten with emrod's, and the cry of the city went up to heaven, and the Ark of the Lord was with the Philistines 7 months, and they called their Priests and Divines together, to conclude how they should send the Ark away, and they said, send it not empty, but in any wise return unto the God of Israel a trespass offering, than ye shall be healed; then said they what shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him? they answered, five golden emrod's, and five golden mice, according to the number of the Philistine Lords, for one plague was on you all, and on your Lords, and you shall make Images of your emrod's, and Images of the mice that hurt the land, and give glory unto the God of Israel, to take his hand off you, your Gods and your land, and do not you harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts when he wrought wonderfully among them did they not let the people go, and they departed? Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, tie the kine to the cart, and bring the claves home from them, and take the Ark of the Lord and lay it upon the cart, and put the jewels of gold which ye return for a trespass offering in a coffer, and tie, by the side thereof, and send it away; and see if it go by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, if so, than he hath done us the great evil. But if not, and that it go another way, we will take it as a chance that happened to us; and they did do what was commanded them, and laid the Ark upon the cart, and the coffer, with the Jewels; and the kine took the straight way of Bethshemesh, and went lowing along the high way, and turned not aside; & the Lords of the Philistines went after them; and they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat, and seeing the Ark they rejoiced to see it, and the cart came into the field of Joshuah, a Bethshemite, and stood there where there was a great stone, and they clavae the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the Lord, and the Levites took down the Ark of the Lord, and the coffer, with the Jewels, and put them on a great stone, and the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed the same day unto the Lord.  
And when the Lords of the Philistines had seen those things, they returned to Ekron, and the stone whereon they set the Ark, is called the great stone of Abel which is in the field of Joshuah the Bethshemite, and the Lord smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the Ark of the Lord, even fifty thousand men, and the people lamented, and they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim to fetch up the Ark unto them, and they came and fetched the Ark of the Lord unto them, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the Ark of the Lord, and there it continued twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.  
And long after twenty years, 
2. Sam. 6.  David gathered all the chosen men of Israel, and went with them, from Baal of Judah to bring up the Ark of the Lord of hosts that dwelleth between the Cherubins, and they set the Ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, and Uzzah, and Ahio the sons of Abinadab drove the cart, and Ahio went before the Ark, and David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, on Harps, and Psalters, Timbrels, Cornets, and Cymbals, and when they came to Nachons' threshing floor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the Ark of God and took hold of it, for the Oxen shook it; and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Vzzah, and God smote him there for his error, and he died by the Ark of God, and David was afraid of the Lord, upon the death of Uzzah, and would not remove the Ark of the Lord unto the city of David, but carried it into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite, where it continued three months, and the Lord blessed Obed, and all his household; and when David understood how God had blessed them, because of the Ark of God, David went and brought the Ark of the Lord from thence unto the city of David with much gladness; and after, they that bore the Ark had gone six paces, he sacrificed Oxen and fatlings to the Lord, and David danced before the Lord, and was girded with a linen Ephod; and so it was brought by David and all the host of Israel, with shoutings, and with the sound of Trumpet, into the city of David; but Michall, Saul's daughter, looked through a window, and seeing king David leaping and dancing before the Ark, she despised him, and they brought the Ark of the Lord, and set in the tabernacle that David had made for it, and then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord, and blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts; and he gave to every man and woman of all Israel, bread, flesh, and wine; and so they departed every one to their house.  
And David returning to bless his house, Michall the daughter of Saul came out to meet him, & said, how glorious was the king of Israel this day, who uncovered himself in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows, shamelessly uncovereth himself▪ and David said unto Michall, it was before the Lord which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me Ruler over the people of Israel, therefore will I play before the Lord, and I will be yet more vile than thus, and will be base in my own sight; and of the maidservants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour: therefore had Michall the daughter of Saul no children, until the day of her death.   

MEDITATIONS Upon the Ark of the holy Covenant.  
O Omnipotent God give unto me thy servant a venerable regard unto thine ordinances, and to worship thee as I ought to do, and not to incline to an unreverent serving of thee, and self-conceit; but let zeal possess my soul, and humble devotion dwell in my heart; deliver me O Lord from the danger of these had and evil times, for thine altars are profaned, and thy worship in thy holy places are wholly neglected, and the glory seems to be departed out of this our Israel; let me look back O Lord to the times of old, how thy servants the children of Israel did worship towards thy holy temple, and the Ark of thy holy Covenant, placed between the Cherubins; and how thou wast pleased therewith; what blessings O Lord from time to time did go along with this Ark of thy Covenant, and what punishments did fall upon them that did profane it? O Lord give me humbleness of heart to desire an humble knowledge of thee, and not to be busy in prying into thy secrets, to look into the Ark of thy Covenant, lest I be destroyed with them of Bethshemesh, neither let me distrust thy power O Lord, or intermeddle with holy things, but keep the right and lowly rule that thou hast commanded; so shall I avoid and escape the punishment of Uzzah, the sad experience of evil, which curiosity and intrusion into God's secrets and other men's callings, ever brought unto the conscience.  
Lord let me stand with perfect humility afar off with the Publican, and humbly without the bounds of the Sanctuary with thy people of Israel, in their worship towards thee, and not proudly to presume to come into the Sanctum Sanctorum, the holy of holyes, but venerably to worship towards it with lowliness of heart; keep thy servant O Lord from the dangerous disease of these times, let me not be wise in my own conceit, nor busy, and opinionated of my own judgement, to disturb Church and State, and to sear my own conscience, but give me grace to be humble and meek; and as the children of Israel did obey Moses by keeping without the limits of mount Sinai, and must not touch the border of it whiles the law was delivered; so keep me, O Lord, far from presumption, that neither eye nor hand out-compasse themselves to my destruction; and this was by a most strict charge from thee O God, and that only Moses and Aaron should come before thee upon the mount, with great punishments threatened unto the breaker of this command. By this restraint, let thy servant tremble at thy judgements, and fear with the children of Israel in the conservation of my spirit, and obey thee with humility from the very bottom of my heart, as the Israelites did at the bottom of mount Sinai, and let me not O Lord follow the dangerous example of them, that with so much presumption go about to break the rules which thou hast commanded, presuming to step before them whom thou hast appointed to be their guides, to break with pride of spirit within the borders of mount Sinai, contrary to thy commands; good Lord let me leave my judgement in points of faith, to the Priests that thou hast appointed to come into the inner Temple of thy holiness, where they do receive the holy oracles of truth from thee to deliver unto us, that do humbly wait in the place and state which thou hast ordained. For this boundless and unruly pride, and groundless self-conceit, as it brought the Angels from heaven, so O Lord from time to time it hath disturbed the world, and thy holy Church, filling it full of heretics and blasphemers, who have been the firebrands of thy wrath, as plagues and punishments for the sins of the world; preserve me therefore O Lord from this so dangerous a rock, and let me not follow my own will and fancy, and keep thy servant from rash and heady resolutions, and not be too confident of my own opinion, for what am I O Lord, to build a Church to my own weak imagination, to rend myself from the Elders and Congregation of Israel, to go a gadding after my own inventions, and to fall into the traps of innovations, and the private opinions of these bad and dangerous times, the Seminaries and seed-plots of sedition and tumults, the ruin of Church and Commonwealth, of all order, government, charity, and brotherly love. But let me keep O Lord that safe rule to walk in, even the plain path of thy Church, which thou hast appointed both in the old, and the new law.  
For O Lord, the Church, the Ark of thy Covenant, was always eminently to be seen and known to the Israelites in all their journeys, from Egypt to Jerusalem, and towards it they did worship, so after thy marvellous deliverances of them over the red Sea, and the deserts of this world; this Ark was placed in thy holy Temple at Jerusalem, where all the Tribes of Israel came up to worship; and towards which holy of holies, they did worship, wheresoever they were dispersed; and in their captivities: and the sacrifices there was more acceptable to thee, than the Adorations that were at Bethel framed by jeroboam, that made Israel to sin, by a worship of his own invention; for vain glory, the true type of heresy and innovations.  
By this O Lord, let thy servant to see that there was always a known and certain way of worship, and a visible Church to thy children of Israel, even in the middle of the red Sea, and Jordan of danger and drowning, being pursued by the Egypt of this world, and still from time to time, this people of thine, and in thy Church, there were guides and governor's for them to follow, to preserve them from by-paths, and in the right rule of thy Church, and saving truth, which Church and worship was hid from the Gentiles for their great abominations, and by thy secret judgements; yet out of thy great and wonderful mercy to mankind, according to thy promise, and prophecies, a Messias did come to redeem the Gentiles, and to bring them unto thee, and that great mercy of his Redemption, which wonderful mercy was by my blessed Redeemer and Saviour jesus Christ, the long hoped for Messias, descended from the root of Jesse the great deliverer of the Gentiles, from the thraldom and bondage of sin, whom no creature could redeem, but that immaculate lamb the son of God, descended from that blessed root, of whom all the Prophets have so much prophesied; and above all, the Prophet Esaiah of the calling of the Gentiles, and the great visibility of the Church, that should be at his coming, for all the world to see and follow; and by which they should learn to leave all blind corners, and crooked by-paths of ignorance and wilfulness, and all good and humble souls thither to repair both Jews and Gentiles, even to this Church, placed upon an open mountain, that every one might see the light thereof, thither repair for the comfort and care of their souls; for there are the true Physicians, and the wholesome balsams, to cure the festered sores of sin, and there is safety for the humble of heart, and there is ever light prepared for them.  
Thus with humility of heart, ascend up into that mountain of the Lord, and Thus O Lord by thy incomprehensible mercy, thou hast given us a way to follow, confirmed to us and the truth thereof, by the great example of thy servants in the primitive Church; the Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors and Virgins, and other thy Saints, by their great sufferings and persecutions in the spiritual progress of this world, before the Ark thy Church could come to rest, from that deluge and troublesome waters of afflictions.  
In all their sufferings and persecutions, following the Example of their Pilot and Redeemer, being humble and meek, and obedient to their temporal Lords, and giving unto Caesar, that was Caesar's, only their faith and a good conscience, they preserved unspotted before thee O Lord, desiring rather to submit their lives, then hold up their hands, and prayed for their persecutors, rather than they would shed the blood of any man, that had the least stamp of God's Image upon him.  
Let me not therefore O Lord spurn against authority, nor laugh at devotion, as Michall that proud Dame did scoff at David for dancing before the Ark, nor think it superstition to follow thy holy Ark seven times about Jericho, if it be commanded by Scripture, or men of divine authority have so determined, for there is a blessing goes along with this Ark of thy Covenant, and happiness is a reward to the humble and devout soul, that attendeth without reluctation upon thy ordinances, and the disciplive of thee O God, whiles this Ark of truth stood with Dagon, that Idol fell down and was brossen, for truth and falsehood cannot stand together; let the soul of thy fervant know this (O Lord) and let me not think to serve thee but with a single, sincere, and an humble heart, and not to mix it with my own foolish fancy, but to serve thee by that rule as thou hast appointed; and good Lord let the Dagon of sinfulness that is raised up in my corrupt heart, fall down and be broken in pieces, and place in steed thereof thy holy Covenant and truth; Lord cleanse and purge me, and make me worthy to receive the Ark of thy Covenant, thy saving truth, and holy spirit; that by my corruptions and wickedness of life, it may not he with me, as it was with them of Ashdod, and Ekron, whiles the Ark was amongst them; to bring punishments and plagues upon me, for my iniquity and profaneness, and inordination. But sanctify my soul O Lord, and give the blessing unto me, that thou didst give unto Abinadab and Obed-Edom, with whom the Ark did rest; and make me a happy vessel to receive thy holy spirit, and then will all things be happinesses and blessings unto me, both in this life, and in the life to come.  
O Lord, though Eli and his sons did unrighteously before thee, to the bad example of the Israelites, yet let not the bad example that I may see by some bad members in thy Church, make me to stumble in my way, but still to follow the Ark of thy Covenant, and mourn after it as the children of Israel did mourn and rejoice in the prosperity of thy Church, when there shall be any joyful remembrance of any kind of mercy or deliverance.  
O Lord, bring me thy servant into the sanctuary of thy saving grace, and thy holy Ark the Church, in safety unto the city of David, in despite of all mocking michal's, that all the world may praise thee for all thy mercies, as David did magnify thy mercy in the presence of all the congregation, with a kind of spiritual joy, beyond the limits of all humane conceit, or the capacity of a proud Naturalist, and place it there O Lord, in the Tabernacle of peace and quietness, that all the world may see thy mercy, and know the way to their salvation, leaving all blind by-paths, and distracted ways that tend, and bend to destruction.  
For thou O Lord hast showed us a way, and left us unexcusable if we follow it not, without unsound and deceitful reasoning; and our destruction is of ourselves.  
But let all praise and glory be given to thee O Lord for thy goodness and truth, Thou O Lord art the way, the truth, and the life.  
Lord lead us all by that way which thou hast shown, unto that truth which hath promised that life, then shall all doubtful errors be removed from our souls, and we shall live in that Ark, where is the light and glory of thy presence for ever.  
FINIS.